Former WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee has highlighted one heavyweight who he believes is destined for greatness, declaring that the youngster is a future world champion, providing that he stays on the right path.
Lee hung up the gloves in 2018 and two years later was in Tyson Fury’s corner for ‘The Gypsy King’s’ dominant knockout victory in his rematch with Deontay Wilder, acting as assistant-trainer to SugarHill Steward.
However, Lee has recently turned his attentions to Fury’s friend and sparring partner Joseph Parker, guiding the New Zealander to a career-best win over Wilder himself back in December.
Yet, speaking to Boxing Scene, it was Moses Itauma that Lee was excited about, after the 19-year-old sparred Parker in preparation for the latter’s fight with Zhilei Zhang on Friday night.
“It’s hard to say how good he is, but he is very very good. I think he has it all and I think he can go as far as he wants to, providing there’s no unforeseen calamity or accident or [he] goes off the rails completely. He can do it all.
“He’s a southpaw, obviously, strong, fast, very strong, powerful, punching-wise, good puncher, clever as well and he has a great style in terms of pressuring and moving. He basically has it all. There are ways he can improve, but he just needs experience in the ring and time in the ring and he’s a very exciting prospect.
“He’s a future world champion, as long as he continues on the right path, in terms of outside the ring [distractions].
“There’s nothing that will concern me, even talking to him he doesn’t have distractions or hang out with the wrong people, he seems very level-headed, determined and focused on boxing.”
Itauma fought and won seven times in his debut year of 2023 and is expected to appear for the first time this year in two weeks’ times, with a new trainer in his corner.