A prime heavyweight prospect, like Leo Atang, is now underneath pressure.
Moses Itauma turned skilled as a teenager and now, nonetheless solely 21 years outdated, has firmly established himself as a world-level contender in speedy time.
That high-speed ascension has set a fashionable precedent, however one which not each heavyweight ought to comply with.
Atang is simply 19 years outdated and goes into his sixth skilled battle in Liverpool this Saturday. He is a promising expertise, with a one hundred pc knockout ratio to date.
But he is at pains to level out his development will not be the identical as teen wonderkid Itauma.
“I’m not going to be the next anybody. I’m going to be myself. He’s done his own thing. He’s gone fast and fair play to him. Everyone moves at different rates, different speeds,” Atang advised Sky Sports.
He does although intend to plot his personal course to the highest of the heavyweight division. That would certainly entail, finally, boxing Itauma himself. Time, in spite of everything, is on their aspect when it comes to making that bout.
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Moses Itauma delivers ‘stunning’ knockout to cease Jermaine Franklin within the fifth spherical of their bout at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena. Pictures courtesy of X @DAZN.
“Of course, it’ll happen but when the time’s right. There’s no rush for either of us. We can wait and build our names and when the time’s right, it’ll be a massive fight,” Atang stated.
“There’s no disrespect or nothing like that. At the end of the day he’s got to do his job, I’ve got to do mine and I’m sure it will happen down the line.”
But he added: “I feel like I’ve had it tougher just because he was the only one to do it at the start, so everyone’s always praised him. Whereas me I’ve almost got to do it in his shadow, I’ve got to live up to what he’s done. So I’ve also really had that pressure on the start I feel like.
“It’s a pressure I would not say I put on myself nevertheless it’s virtually been forced upon me from exterior noise.”
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Andy Scott and Gary Logan debate who Moses Itauma ought to face subsequent following his devastating knockout win over Jermaine Franklin
He has to proceed his growth this yr and work by way of the apprenticeship section of his profession, however he expects to regularly determine within the championship image.
“The world title’s the goal for me,” Atang stated. “That’s the plan.
“I do know I’m on the appropriate path in the intervening time, I do know I’m on the proper tempo as effectively. When it is time to let me off the leash, that’s up to the group to let me know.
“I’m grounded enough to know I’m not where I need to be to be calling out big names,” he continued. “I know I’m far from that. But when it comes to that of course I want to be up there.
“When it is time, it is going to make it a lot extra enjoyable to get into some large fights within the heavyweight division.”
