Devin Haney Calls 21-Year-Old Sensation 'The Next Guy' After Viral KO
· Yahoo Sports
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - NOVEMBER 20: Devin Haney looks on during a Press Conference for the Ring IV: Night of the Champions Fight Night ahead of his World Welterweight Title fight against Brian Norman Junior at Boulevard Riyadh City Square 2 on November 20, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesHIGHLIGHTS
- A welterweight world champion had five words for the 21-year-old heavyweight sensation.
- The list of high-profile backers keeps growing after every fight.
- A title shot could come before the end of the year.
Moses Itauma's list of backers grows every time he takes the ring. After his decimation of the previously unstopped Jermaine Franklin on Saturday at the Co-op Live in Manchester, Itauma added a few more to the bandwagon. One in particular is welterweight champion Devin Haney. Immediately after Franklin's win, Haney took to X and kept it short and sweet. He said "Moses is the next guy."
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After this KO, we cannot argue. This vide has already been viewed on this source–not counting the others online–over a million times in less than 24 hours.
Why Is Itauma Getting This Kind of Attention?
Rarely have we seen a heavyweight this young look like a legitimate title contender. There was a thought that Itauma might challenge Mike Tyson's record and become the youngest man to win the heavyweight title, but that's by the boards. Still, he is easily the best young heavyweight sensation in recent decades surpassing Jared Anderson and others.
Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs) is 21 years old and has already stopped Dillian Whyte in under two minutes and became the first man to stop Franklin in 26 career fights. He's ranked WBO No. 1 and WBA No. 1 at heavyweight.
Who Else Is Co-Signing Itauma?
Combat sports personality and journalist Ariel Helwani also shouted Itauma out, calling him "the one."
ESPN's Andreas Hale also offered his own emphatic endorsement of the 21-year-old phenom.
After the fight, Oleksandr Usyk said "I think Itauma is the future for boxing," per theScore. When a welterweight champion, the undisputed heavyweight champion, a major combat sports journalist and an ESPN analyst all say the same thing, the consensus is clear.
What's Next for Itauma?
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 28: Moses Itauma poses for a photograph as he celebrates victory with his title belts after defeat Jermaine Franklin Jr (not pictured) during the EBU European and WBO Inter-Continental Featherweight Titles fight between Moses Itauma and Jermaine Franklin Jr at Co-Op HQ on March 28, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesIt seems his team wants him to get his title shot before the end of the year, but in the meantime, a battle with the likes of Lawrence Okolie or Agit Kabayel could be the final hurdle for Itauma to clear.
The WBC ordered Okolie vs. Itauma as a final eliminator back in December 2025. Kabayel (27-0) holds the WBC interim heavyweight title and has been on his own tear, stopping Zhilei Zhang and Frank Sanchez in back-to-back fights.