EXCLUSIVE
Moses Itauma has never tasted defeat as a professional or an amateur.
The British teenage sensation is considered to be one of the most exciting up-and-comers among the next generation of heavyweight stars.
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In his vested days, Itauma accumulated an unblemished 24-0 record and picked up gold medals at the national youth (twice), European youth (twice), and World Youth Championships, while in the paid ranks he has accumulated an undefeated 9-0 record.
However, things haven't always gone his way.
In a candid conversation with Sam Matterface, Alex Crook, and Darragh MacAnthony on talkSPORT on Tuesday morning, Itauma admitted to being dropped twice in sparring.
"I have in sparring, twice actually. I'm not ashamed of it. It happens," he said when asked if he had been knocked down before.
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"Once when I was 13/14 and once when I was 16. I feel like I needed it, especially the last time I've been put on my ass.
"Yeah, I was getting too big-headed. I was a two-time European gold medallist.
"I was a two-time national champion. I was just like, 'I don't need to train. I'm gonna be this. I'm gonna be that.'
"And then I turned up to sparring. I got put on my arse, and I was like 'Okay, I need to wake up now.'
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"I was supposed to spar Joe Joyce and then he never turned up. And the guy I was meant to be sparring, I was looking at him on the pads and I'm like, 'He doesn't look that good.'
"So I was like, 'I'm going to go in and blast him out and then I'll be on my way home.'
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"In the first round I got a shock. Then we had a little ding dong and things escalated really quickly."
Itauma's explosive all-action style has led to him being branded 'Britain's Mike Tyson' by the national press.
British boxer Moses Itauma reveals advice he received from Mike Tyson and Tyson Fury as he looks to break heavyweight record
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury is backing the Brit to make it to the top of the pile when he eventually hangs up his gloves.
But none of that will be possible if he can't get through Mariusz Wach this weekend on the Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora undercard.
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The durable Polish veteran took Wladimir Klitschko the distance when he challenged for the Ukrainian's WBA, IBF, and WBO titles in 2012 and has shared the ring with several great heavyweights.
His best days are firmly behind him at 44 years old so Itauma will have to look good against him if he hopes to take another step up in class in his next fight.
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