Moses Itauma will face ex-NFL star Mike Balogun
Known as ‘The future of heavyweight boxing’, unbeaten Brit Moses Itauma’s (11-0, 9 KOs) next opponent has been announced as American Mike Balogun (21-1, 16 KOs).
Moses Itauma vs Mike Balogun is scheduled for Saturday, May 24th at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, on the undercard of Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman, live on DAZN.
20-year-old prospect, Itauma, has passed recent tests against Mariusz Wach (TKO 2) and Demsey McKean (TKO 1) with flying colours, and now he gets another stern assignment in May.
The American southpaw was once a professional football player in the States, playing for the likes of top NFL teams such as the Washington Redskins, the 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Buffalo Bills.
Now aged 41, he has lost just once in 22 bouts, and that was to former unified world cruiserweight champion, Murat Gassiev.
Eight of his last 10 victories have been won by knockout, seven coming in rounds one and two.
Also a southpaw, Chatham’s Itauma is also known for his power and quick finishes. He has scored seven successive stoppages, all within two rounds.
Itauma said, “When I have sparred the Dubois’, the Joyce’s, The Joshua’s, the Fury’s… If you would have seen some of sparring sessions, you’d be like, ‘now I know where this kid his confidence from’.”
Also featuring on the Taylor-Essuman card is a featherweight cracker between the unbeaten former British champion Nathaniel Collins (15-0, 7 KOs) and former European bantamweight champion Lee McGregor (15-1-1, 11 KOs) in an all-Scottish showdown for the prestigious WBC Silver championship.
And at cruiserweight, the WBA Continental champion Aloys Jr (9-1, 8KOs) will take on a Scottish challenge from David Jamieson (13-3, 10 KOs) from East Kilbride.
There is a Glasgow derby at middleweight with Aston Brown (7-0, 2KOs) will take on Reece Porter (5-0, 3 KOs) over 10 rounds for the Scottish title, along with a fourth professional fight over six rounds at super welterweight for recent Queensberry signing Drew Limond (3-0).
Sunderland favourite and British Olympian Luke McCormack (3-0, 2 KOs) will fight over eight at super lightweight, with Perth lightweight Luke Bibby (9-0, 2 KOs) in six round action.
Glasgow will witness the professional debut of new Queensberry signing Alex Arthur Jr at light heavyweight over four rounds, with super lightweight Lee Welsh (4-0, 1 KO) from Stirling, super bantamweight Marcus Sutherland (6-0, 4 KOs) from Shotts and light heavyweight Sean Lazzerini (2-0, 1 KO) from Glasgow all fighting over the four-round distance.
