By Matt Bozeat
WHO is the biggest power puncher in Britain?
Anthony Joshua? Daniel Dubois?
Moses Itauma would shake his head at the suggestions.
“I’ve been in the ring with basically everyone on the scene, heavyweights and cruiserweights,” the unbeaten 19-year-old heavyweight told ‘Boxing News.’
“And Aloys [Junior] is definitely the most powerful boxer I’ve shared the ring with.
“Ridiculous.”
Itauma and Junior first shared a ring in the 2019 Junior Championships. They met in the semi-finals at 80kgs plus in Rotherham – and Itauma won a unanimous points decision at the Magna Centre.
“I was 16, he was 14 and he was much bigger than me,” said Junior, who was boxing for Repton at the time.
“I couldn’t believe it. He had much more experience as well. It was a close fight. It was tactical and a war as well. We were throwing bombs. I showed heart and he showed class.”
Later that season, Junior got a chance to box – and win – for England against Ireland after Itauma was injured.
Rivals in the amateurs, they are now gym mates and friends in the professional ranks.
Both train under Ben Davison in Harlow and Junior was ringside at the O2 Arena last month to see Itauma blow away Mariusz Wach inside six minutes on the Derek Chisora-Joe Joyce undercard.
“We have sparred numerous round and he’s a good friend of mine,” said Junior, a chiselled cruiserweight crusher whose seven wins on his eight-fight record have all come inside four rounds.
“He’s going all the way and I’m going all the way. We are going for greatness together.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 28: Moses Itauma punches Marcel Bode during the Heavyweight fight between Moses Itauma and Marcel Bode at OVO Arena Wembley on January 28, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by James Chance/Getty Images)
Because Itauma is a heavyweight who won European and World honours as a Youth amateur, his story is rather better known than Junior’s.
There are similarities in their backgrounds. Both had fewer than 30 amateur bouts – Itauma was 26-0 and Junior was 17-4 – and sparred pros when they might have been doing their school homework instead.
“The first time I sparred a man it was a shock,” said Junior of his experience as a 13-year-old.
“The power was so different. I used to go home, watch Mike Tyson on You Tube, go back to the gym the next day and get punched up again.
“Slowly, I got better and better. Over time, you adapt.
“I was consistent and put everything into it. When you love something, you put everything into it.
“I’ve always loved fighting.
“During the school holidays, while all my friends were outside playing, I was in the gym twice a day training like a professional. I saw my development go through the roof and when I had to go back to school, I could only train once a day and it slowed.
“I sparred Dan Azeez at 16 and he put me through it. I sparred Andre Sterling, Daniel Dubois, Joshua Buatsi. I have been in the ring with all the elite.
“You can’t buy that experience. Sparring those individuals gives you the belief that you can be where they are.
“It’s a hard route, but it’s simple.”
That belief was put to the test when manager Simon Legg rang Junior in November, 2021 and asked him if he would fight unbeaten Polish puncher Michal Soczynski at the York Hall the following night.
Junior didn’t think twice and though beaten on his pro debut, he impressed enough to earn a contract with Queensberry Promotions.
“I’ve always been the sort who swims when it’s sink or swim,” said the articulate 21-year-old from Penge.
Junior has thrashed everyone he’s faced since, with the help of an ancient samurai warrior!
Bedside reading for Junior recently has been The Book of Five Rings, written by Miyamoto Musashi around 1645.
“It’s the warrior’s code,” said Junior, “how to be a great warrior. It explains how he stayed undefeated, how he could adapt and could manipulate his toughest opponent.
“I’ve tapped into his mindset and every fight I’m getting better and better.”
Junior’s reputation is growing.
Broadcasters TNT Sports have screened all his fights and their cameras picked out his colourful supporters gathered on the York Hall balcony in April cheering him on as he broke down and then knocked out Argentine veteran Pablo Oscar Natalio Farias in four rounds.
Cameroon flags were waved enthusiastically as Junior smashed Farias to the floor in the third and for the full count in the next.
The South Londoner’s father is from Cameroon, his mother is half-Cameroon/half-Congolese and he said: “They came from all over the country and some flew in from Cameroon as well.
“My family have some influence over there and Cameroon people are very patriotic.
“Over there they call me the Cameroon Mike Tyson or say I’m like Francis Ngannou [also from Cameroon].”
Junior knows which comparison he prefers.
“To this day, I have a picture of Mike Tyson on my wall,” he said. “One is of him when he was a 20-year-old monster and another is from later in his career after he had just knocked someone out.
“The greatest has to be Muhammad Ali because of his charisma and what he stood for outside of boxing, but if you don’t love Mike Tyson, you don’t love boxing. I love his combinations, his explosiveness . . .”
Junior has another hero in the gym where he trains.
“I used to look up to AJ [Anthony Joshua],” he said. “I would be on my phone watching him fight and watching documentaries about him and thinking: ‘This guy is amazing, how do I get to be this good?’
“Now we are in the same gym. I can’t believe how it’s turned out. It shows that if you are consistent you will get there. I believe you could make pigs fly if you really wanted to. It would be a lot of work, but it could be done.
“I pick his [Joshua’s] brains until someone pulls him away. He’s very busy and I’m grateful for the small time I get with him.”
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 09: Anthony Joshua walks in the Paddock prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on March 09, 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Junior doesn’t envisage spending much time in the ring at the York Hall on Saturday, August 17.
He meets German puncher Oronzo Birardi over 10 rounds on a show topped by the middleweight clash between Denzel Bentley and Derrick Osaze.
Birardi has six early wins on his 8-0 record and, unlike some prospects, Junior has done his homework on his next opponent.
Junior doesn’t leave it all to Davison and analyst Lee Wylie.
Boxing News rang Junior at eight o’clock in the morning while he was on his way to training and he said: “I’ve been watching him this morning.
“I study him day in, day out and I truly believe I will knock him out. If it goes beyond four rounds, I will be shocked. I can see it being another short night’s work.”
None of Junior’s last seven opponents have made it past the fourth round.
Four have fallen in the first, with Jiri Krejci and Erik Nazaryan lasting only 38 seconds apiece.
“I have amazing power,” he said.
“Every single punch I’ve thrown ever since I was a child has been a powerful punch, but I never rush the knockout. I set things up.
“I go out there to play chess and then, bang ! Checkmate. It’s all over.
“If the pace goes up I can dish it out, but I’m not here to be a four, six or eight round fighter. I’m here to be a 12-round fighter.”
There’s talk of Junior fighting Tommy Fletcher, the towering Norfolk cruiserweight handled by father and son Jimmy and Mark Tibbs.
Fletcher is 8-0, 6 KOs and Junior said: “Whenever he feels ready, I’m ready. If he wants it at midnight tomorrow, we can do it at midnight tomorrow. If he wants it at four in the morning, that’s fine”
They bumped into each other at the weigh in when both boxed at the Copper Box Arena in February.
Junior remembers them exchanging looks and said: “I saw this lanky giraffe behind me and said: ‘What are you going to do? Go and do your interview’ and then he started screaming like a girl.
“I need a dance partner. He can dance with me.”
