Moses Itauma Names Fabio Wardley — Not Himself — as Heavyweight's Biggest Puncher

Moses Itauma has flattened 12 of his 14 opponents and hasn't seen the far side of round six in his career. So when the 21-year-old was asked to name the hardest puncher in the heavyweight division, you'd forgive him for pointing at the mirror. He didn't.

Speaking to DAZN, Itauma reached back to Earnie Shavers as the all-time benchmark and then handed the present-day title to his own stablemate, former WBO champion Fabio Wardley. Not himself. Not even Daniel Dubois, the man he did tag as the division's most dangerous. That's a striking bit of humility from a fighter riding a nine-bout streak of stoppages inside five rounds.

The Kent man's stock has never been higher. Last time out he became the first to knock out durable American Jermaine Franklin, closing the show in round five — something neither Dillian Whyte nor Anthony Joshua managed. Whyte himself lasted a single round against Itauma before the referee waved it off.

The Power Case for Wardley

On paper, Itauma's pick makes sense. Wardley has won 19 of his 20 fights by knockout, a finish rate that would embarrass most of the top ten. The catch is what happened last time: Dubois stopped him in the 11th, taking both his WBO belt and his unbeaten record in one night. Wardley has since triggered his rematch clause and is expected to fight for that title again before the year is out.

It's worth noting who Itauma left off the list. Joshua (29-4, 26 KO) and Deontay Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KO) — arguably the two biggest one-punch names of the last decade — didn't get a mention. Both look to be fading, and Itauma clearly sees the power vacuum being filled by a younger, hungrier crop.

What Comes Next

The talk gets tested on August 29, when Itauma meets Filip Hrgovic in the toughest assignment of his short career. Hrgovic is a different animal to anyone he's faced — heavy-handed, experienced, and unlikely to fold in a round. If Itauma keeps his streak alive against that level of opposition, the debate over who really hits hardest at heavyweight won't need him to answer it. The result will.