By Sam Brookes

Copyright independent

British heavyweight sensation Moses Itauma is the name on every boxing fan’s lips right now.

He has steamrollered his way into title contention, winning his first 13 professional fights while only being taken the distance twice.

Itauma is still only 20 but is already finding it difficult to entice opponents into the ring with him.

He is due to return on 13 December, just days before his 21st birthday, but could then target a bout with undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk next year.

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh wants to make the fight and Itauma’s trainer Ben Davison recently claimed they would jump at the opportunity to face Usyk.

But would it be too soon for Itauma to go for world title glory? Well, let’s look back at five fighters who won their first world titles at the age of 21 ahead of the potential fight between Itauma and Usyk in 2026.

Floyd Mayweather entered the professional ranks after starring as an amateur on the international stage.

Mayweather competed at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when he was only 19 and picked up a bronze medal.

Later that year, Mayweather turned professional and quickly worked his way up the rankings.

Within two years, he got his first shot at a title when he faced the experienced Genaro Hernandez for the WBC super featherweight belt.

Mayweather dominated the contest before Hernandez’s corner refused to send their man out for the ninth round.

The victory over Hernandez marked a coming-of-age moment and he went on to win titles in five different divisions before retiring with a perfect 50-0 record in 2017.

Roberto Duran had his first professional fight when he was only 16. He may have still only been a boy, but the young star from Panama quickly showed he could hold his own with men twice his age.

After moving to 28-0, Duran stepped up to face Scottish boxing legend Ken Buchanan for his WBA and Ring lightweight titles at Madison Square Garden in June 1972.

Duran had turned 21 just 10 days earlier but he was not overawed by the occasion as he came on strong to stop Buchanan in the 13th round of their scheduled 15-rounder.

Duran is widely recognised as the greatest lightweight of all time, and he subsequently ruled the division for the majority of the 1970s before moving up in weight to test himself.

He won world titles in four weight classes and was involved in some of the biggest fights in boxing history against the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns.

Fighting was in Duran’s blood and he had his last bout at the age of 50 in 2001, 34 years after his debut.

Thomas ‘The Hitman’ Hearns was one of the ‘Four Kings’ in the 1980s alongside Duran, Leonard and Hagler.

He started the decade as he meant to go on by landing a world title fight against Jose Cuevas at welterweight.

Like Duran, he was also 28-0 heading into his first championship contest. Hearns proved he was more than ready for the big stage by knocking out Cuevas inside two rounds in his home state of Detroit.

Hearns was a brutal puncher, and he won his next three fights inside the distance before agreeing to a super-fight with Leonard when he was still only 22.

He fell short against Leonard as he was stopped in the penultimate round but proved he belonged at the elite level and that he was not afraid to take on the biggest challenges at a young age.

At his best, Hearns was a handful for anyone who retired as a five-weight world champion in 2006 aged 47.

The flamboyant Naseem Hamed made his professional debut in February 1992 two days after his 18th birthday. It quickly became apparent he was on a path towards superstardom.

Hamed had only heard the final bell twice in 19 fights when he took on Steve Robinson for the WBO featherweight title in September 1995.

The Sheffield-based fighter challenged Robinson on away territory as he travelled to Cardiff Arms Park in Wales, which may have been a daunting task for some.

Hamed was at ease from the opening bell, though, as he picked Robinson apart, hurting him on multiple occasions.

The inevitable end came in the eighth round, with the referee stepping in to save Robinson from further punishment.

Hamed had announced himself on the world stage and he would go on to sell out arenas while ruling the featherweight division for the next five years.

He finally met his match in April 2001 when he was outpointed by Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera.

That was the first loss of Hamed’s career and he only fought once more before retiring at the age of 28 in 2002 with a 36-1 record.

Oscar De La Hoya was dubbed ‘The Golden Boy’ after he struck gold at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

He was never going to need long to crack the professional game, and within a dozen fights he was lined up for a world title shot.

De La Hoya took on Jimmi Bredahl for the WBO super featherweight title in March 1994, a little over 18 months after his Olympic success.

The fight was stopped after 10 rounds as De La Hoya claimed his first belt just a month after turning 21.

He did not rest on his laurels either, as he picked up a lightweight title two fights later.

De La Hoya would go on to win titles in six divisions – a feat only matched by Manny Pacquiao – before retiring after losing to the Filipino icon in 2008.

It would be a risky move on Itauma’s part to target Usyk at such an early stage in his career.

Itauma has still not been truly tested, and it will be fascinating to see how he reacts when he gets caught cleanly by an elite heavyweight.

Usyk is also an all-time great and would be the clear favourite if the fight gets made in the next 12 months.

But Mayweather and Co proved if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. Itauma has passed the eyeball test as he has swept aside all his competition to date.

He looks the part and should not be afraid to chase greatness if he believes he is ready. A defeat to Usyk would not spell the end for him by any means, while a victory would instantly catapult him to superstar status.

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