‘BEING mediocre is sickening’ are the words Moses Itauma sees every night before bed and every morning when he wakes up.
The quote is from American fitness influencer Greg Plitt – who was killed in 2015 when trying to outrun a train.
It motivates the Brit sensation every day to keep pushing himself beyond the normal realms of a 21-year-old’s capabilities, it inspires him to sacrifice almost all of the fun and frivolous things his generation can enjoy.
For all of his maturity and confidence, Itauma is also honest enough to admit he still doesn’t know who he truly is – yet.
But he seems to already know, unequivocally, that he was not born to be average and he is willing to supplement his natural freakish talent with incredible dedication.
He told SunSport: “I am still on my journey and discovering myself.
“I am only 21 years old so I don’t have the answer to that now.
“Ask me in ten or 15 years and I will probably be able to tell you what the 21-year-old Moses Itauma was.
“But right now I cannot tell you who I am, or what makes me unique, because I still don’t know yet.
“I have a quote on my wall: ‘Being mediocre is sickening….’ Do whatever you want with that quote.
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There’s a massive year of boxing ahead!
It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring.
Tyson Fury will make his return in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov while Oleksandr Usyk takes on the king of kickboxing Rico Verhoeven.
Conor Benn features for the first time since making the switch to Zuffa Boxing and Fabio Wardley will defend his newly won heavyweight crown.
Canelo Alvarez will be hoping to return after his defeat to Terence Crawford and heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk will also defend his straps.
Derek Chisora will fight for the 50th and (perhaps) final time against Deontay Wilder while Daniel Dubois is also on the comeback trail.
A whole bunch of British stars could also take a leap into superstardom, with the likes of Moses Itauma, Hamzah Sheeraz and Adam Azim ready to join the very top of the sport.
Here’s all the big fights coming up…
March
- Sat 28 – Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin – DAZN
- Sat 28 – Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman – Amazon Prime PPV
April
- Sat 4 – Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora – DAZN PPV
- Sun 5 – Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper – Sky Sports
- Sat 11 – Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov – Netflix
- Sat 11 – Conor Benn vs Regis Prograis – Netflix
- Sat 18 – Callum Smith vs David Morrell – DAZN
- Sat 18 – Manny Pacquiao vs Ruslan Provodnikov
- Sat 25 – Lawrence Okolie vs Tony Yoka – DAZN
May
- Sat 2 – Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani – Undisputed super-bantamweight title – TBC
- Sat 2 – Zurdo Ramirez vs David Benavidez – WBA & WBO Cruiserweight titles – Prime Video
- Sat 9 – Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois – WBO title – DAZN
- Sat 23 – Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven – WBC title – DAZN
June
- Sat 6 – Dalton Smith vs Alberto Puello – WBC super lightweight title – DAZN
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“I remember hearing that quote, that being average and mediocre is sickening and wrote it up on the whiteboard that I keep next to my bed.
“There will always be nightclubs and parties and girls and whatever, but what won’t always be there are the opportunities to succeed and do what you want to do.”
For all of his clear thinking, Itauma reveals that books have only just seduced him.
Growing up in Chatham, Kent and loving football before boxing, the library was not a regular haunt.
But four months after turning 21, he now has a voracious appetite for words, as well as world titles, and he has ravaged Amazon for a treasure trove of tomes on masculinity, self-improvement and self-discovery from literary giants like Jiddu Krishnamurti and Niccolo Machiavelli.
“I just ordered about 50 books,” he told us before whipping out his phone and unloading a combination.
“The Art of Clear Thinking, The Ways of the Superior Man, Influence, The Alchemist, Iron John, The Awakening of Intelligence, The Prince.
“I was never a big fan of reading because I found it hard to click with books.
“But then I found a couple that I liked and now I am on the rampage.
“It’s all about balance, everyone is unique, I might have done something yesterday that was detrimental to my career but was positive for my mental state.
“It’s about getting to know yourself. I know a lot of boxers who go clubbing but they drink water.
“Floyd Mayweather would be in a nightclub all night, sober, and run home at 4am.
“I will find out what works for me, there might be the odd tantrum here or there. But I am finding myself.”
For a heavyweight powerhouse tasked with fighting men twice his age and experience, Itauma is not cut from the same terrifying cloth as Mike Tyson, who thrived on intimidation.
In stark contrast he is proud of how calm he is, in the face of a career built on adversity, animosity and aggression.
The Gen-Zen fighter explained: “I was skipping the other day and I said to my brothers ‘do you know I haven’t shouted at anyone for a good two years?’
“I wondered why that was and thought it must be because I am content and happy with myself.
“It made me realise that people that do shout a lot probably don’t feel like that.
“And could say the same about negative people.
“I am happy and content inside and out, so I don’t portray any negativity or hate – and I have boxing to alleviate my stress.”
His tastebuds have changed too, on the day we visited Ben Davison’s buzzing Harlow gym, Team Itauma are laughing about a pal who just had a bad reaction to a dodgy oyster.
When we remind him of the fact he and his little brother used to eat rice and mayonnaise dinners – and the myth that he slept in the tub.
“I didn’t buy the steak or oysters!” he said, at risk of sounding bougie. “So it didn’t make much difference to me.
Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin – all the info
A rising star returns to the ring!
Moses Itauma and Jermaine Franklin will finally get their hands on each other at the top of a blockbuster bill in Manchester TONIGHT
The fight was initially planned for January 24 before Itauma was forced to withdraw due to an injury
But the rising star is now back and will be hoping to take a step closer to a world title shot against a man who has won his last three consecutive fights.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming mouthwatering fight…
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“It’s not surreal because it’s what I box for and what I have wanted to do.
“My dad used to give us £7 for the week and we would go and get the rice and mayonnaise from the shop.
“I think Samuel was the one doing the cooking but I was on the washing up.
He laughed: “I only slept in the bath when we used to go on trips for boxing tournaments!
“I was always the one who ended up on the floor or in the bath, but it was only for a couple of nights when the other boys were boxing.
“Whoever was boxing got the bed and whoever was there just watching got the rest.”
An appetite for delicacies and destruction and a willingness to make the uncomfortable feel comfortable makes for a scary combination.
