Moses Itauma tipped to reign at heavyweight for years to come… but rival Leo Atang insists he will have a say in that

MOSES ITAUMA is on the cusp of a potentially brutal takeover of the heavyweight division. The Chatham clubber has stopped all but TWO of his 14 professional opponents on his way to earning a crack at the IBF heavyweight title on Saturday night live on DAZN. Moses Itauma is on the cusp of winning his first world title Credit: PA The slick southpaw faces Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title on Saturday night Credit: GETTY Filip Hrgovic stands between the 21-year-old and the prestigious red and gold belt. Many believe the fight is a formality and merely the coronation of the new face of British and heavyweight boxing. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! Itauma could very well be the king of the division in just a few fights’ time as the old guard, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk, are hurtling towards retirement. Current WBO champ Daniel Dubois, however, will be out to ensure his former sparring partner doesn’t become the man of boxing’s blue ribbon division And undefeated prospect Leo Atang has warned Itauma he also plans to have a serious say in the division over the next few years. During the latest episode of SunSport’s No Glove Lost, he said: “It would be stupid for me not to back myself, I’d be in the wrong sport [if I didn’t].” He added: “I back myself [against him], of course I do. But he’s gonna be up there at the top, and that’s where I wanna get to. “And that’s where I’m working towards getting to. So if he’s there, then so be it.” Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic - all the info Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic face off for the IBF heavyweight world title A spectacular showing against Hrgovic will put Itauma on course to being the star face of British boxing, a notion Atang wholeheartedly agrees with. The 19-year-old said of the slick southpaw: “Oh, [he could be] a big one. “It’ll put him up there, especially with his age and how young he is getting there. “It also sets up other bigger fights because then people the fighters out there with world titles are going to want to get his title as well. “So it’s gonna create bigger fights and bigger nights for him.” Moses Itauma has been tipped to rule the heavyweight division for years to come Credit: GETTY Teenage prospect Leo Atang has vowed to not let Itauma have it all his own way in the division in the coming years Credit: SUNSPORT Atang is hoping one of those “bigger nights” will eventually be a domestic up with himself for one, if not all, the heavyweight marbles. But at this stage of his career, he’s more than happy to keep operating in the shadows and let Itauma get all the attention as he continues developing his skill set. He said: “With Moses getting to the top right now and everyone raving about him, I can kind of blend into the background, work on myself and climb the ladder eventually. “Everyone says it to me. But of course I’m gonna back myself against him when it comes to it in the future. “Because he’s gonna be up [there].” Comment now