Even though surging British fighter Moses Itauma can no longer break Mike Tyson’s long-standing record as the youngest heavyweight to win a world championship in boxing, aged 20 years and four months in 1986, it appears the prospect-turned-contender still wants to speed-run a shot at the belt.
That’s according to his trainer Ben Davison who spoke to Sky Sports this week and said “the goal now is to get him a world champion as soon as possible.”
Still only 21 years old, few are as highly thought of, while still as young, as Itauma, who has 12 knockouts from 14 wins in his career to date, and remains unbeaten.
Itauama’s potential raised eyebrows when he finished Mariusz Wach in two rounds in 2024, and he keeps knocking people out, icing Dillian Whyte in a single round, last year, and beginning 2026 with a bang by battering Jermaine Franklin through five rounds in Manchester, England.
And Davison doesn’t exactly want to pump the brakes. They are targeting titles. “That’s the goal that we’re looking at,” he said.
He continued: “I can’t say too much because it’s Queensberry Promotions’ job, Frank Warren’s job, George Warren, but I think that’s the goal.”
“He wants to be a world champion before he’s 22.”
— Ben Davison on Moses Itauma
“He’s in a very positive position with a number of the organisations, the sanctioning bodies, so it might be a case of someone might have to vacate or fight,” Davison said. “It’s just risk versus reward with matchmaking with Moses. Experience will come along the way.
“We’ve tried with opponents to get rounds and I think we’re at the point now where we’ve seen enough.
“I’ve seen enough in the gym, I’ve seen enough in the fights where if these guys aren’t capable of doing the rounds, it is what it is.”
Should Itauma challenge for a world title aged 22, he’ll have to secure that shot by the end of 2027 as he turns 23 on December 28, 2027.
If successful in that shot, he’d be the third or fourth youngest heavyweight world champion in boxing history, within company of Tyson — who he’s been compared to — Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, and George Foreman.
Some feat if he can pull it off.
Youngest Heavyweight World Champions
| Rank | Name | Age at Victory | Date Won | Title(s) Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Tyson | 20 years, 4 months | Nov 22, 1986 | WBC |
| 2 | Floyd Patterson | 21 years, 10 months | Nov 30, 1956 | NBA, NYSAC (Undisputed) |
| 3 | Muhammad Ali | 22 years, 1 month | Feb 25, 1964 | WBA, WBC |
| 4 | Joe Louis | 23 years, 1 month | June 22, 1937 | NBA, NYSAC (Undisputed) |
| 5 | George Foreman | 24 years, 0 months | Jan 22, 1973 | WBA, WBC |
