Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury makes bold claim about Moses Itauma ahead of the Chatham teenager’s fight against Dan Garber at York Hall

Chatham boxer Moses Itauma is the “future of the heavyweight division” according to world champion Tyson Fury.

Fury made the claim on Instagram, responding to a comment from the Medway boxer regarding their recent sparring which Itauma described as “unique” and that he was “struck by it”.

Itauma said: “I woke up to (Fury’s response) - he’s been there and done what I want to do and so it was nice seeing that - not being too arrogant or brash but I kind of already knew it.”

Itauma is back in the ring tonight (Friday) at York Hall, ahead of his return to Riyadh in May, on the undercard for Fury’s much-anticipated clash with Oleksandr Usyk which will see one man crowned the undisputed heavyweight world champion.

That fight was due to take place on February 17, with Itauma also on the bill, but Fury pulled out with a cut picked up in sparring.

Itauma sparred Fury a week before the champion got cut during a session with Agron Smakici, a gash to the eye which led to the postponement of what’s been billed as one of the biggest boxing fights in history.

Itauma said: “I am a bit annoyed because everywhere I go they think it was me that cut him but I haven’t got a big hairy chest!

“I went to watch my brother box in Dagenham and these lot were like, ‘if anyone wants to know why the show’s not going on it’s him’, everyone was blaming me! I was like, ‘I didn’t do anything, I was literally at home!’”

A heavyweight with huge ambitions