GLASGOW, Scotland – In 1995, popular British heavyweight Frank Bruno stopped Chicago’s Mike Evans in Glasgow. Five years on, Mike Tyson stunned Lou Savarese in 38 seconds in the city’s rain-soaked Hampden Park. In 2014, in Anthony Joshua’s fifth fight as Matchroom introduced him as their new heavyweight star all over the UK, the Londoner squashed Argentine Hector Alfredo Avila in a round.
On Saturday, the man many believe is next in line to rule the division, Moses Itauma faces American Mike Balogun at the Hydro.
Asked about Bruno, Tyson, and Joshua, the 20-year-old said: “Now it’s Moses Itauma.”
Speaking at today’s bustling public weigh-in, Itauma added: “I appreciate every one of you coming out. Obviously everyone’s here to watch the main event [Josh Taylor-Ekow Essuman] and to see all the Scottish fighters, so I’m going to try and make it a quick one, try to dust Mike Balogun up and do my job.”
In the build-up, Itauma has been linked with future fights against the likes of Filip Hrgovic and Martin Bakole.
In response to Hrgovic’s claims that Itauma “was just a kid,” and that “he’d smash me up”, Itauma told Queensberry” “I find it funny that he says I’m just a kid and he went what was it, 11, 12 rounds – 12 rounds – with someone [Demsey McKean] I knocked out in the first round. It’s not bad for a kid, innit?”
And he added today: “I think it’s very disrespectful to name other fighters when I’ve got a serious contender like Mike Balogun in front of me. Like I said, I’ll do the job and send him on the way home.”
London cruiserweight Aloys Junior, who fights Scotland’s David Jamieson on the bill, had earlier stoked the fire, wearing an England soccer shirt, playing to the crowd and encouraging the thunderous boos he was receiving.
Aloys is 9-1 (8 KOs), and had to shout to be heard over the jeers.
“If you don’t like me, it’s all good. I respect him [Jamieson] as a man, but on fight night I’m gonna fuck him up.”
Jamieson, far more mild-mannered and a more experienced 13-3 (10 KOs) – and at 33, 11 years older – replied: “Listen, there’s been a bit of back and forth in the build-up, it’s all just jovial nonsense. I said that at the press conference yesterday. I’m not about this. I’m too long in the tooth, I’m 33. My mum’s watching this. My gran’s watching this. I’m not gonna get into a back and forth and start swearing and things like that. Let’s just get in here on Saturday night and I’ll deal with him.”
Asked for a prediction, he said: “I’m gonna knock him clean out.”