Moses Itauma’s ex-foe tried to get revenge in gruelling sparring after crushing KO loss

The problem with being as good as Moses Itauma is that you carry a target on your back.

Every heavyweight that steps between the ropes to spar the precocious talent is looking to make a statement, especially those the Chatham southpaw has already brushed to one side.

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One such former foe is Poland’s Mariusz Wach, whom Itauma blasted away inside two rounds back in July 2024.

The former world title challenger is noted for his iron jaw, having taken the likes of Wladimir Klitschko and Dillian Whyte the distance.

It took until the rugged veteran’s 34th fight for him to finally hit the canvas against Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Itauma then became the second man to deck the 6ft 8in giant, before stopping him against the ropes.

A year later, ahead of Itauma’s last outing against Whyte, Wach was drafted into camp as a sparring partner, and he didn’t hold back.

Itauma’s gruelling sparring session with Wach

“For the Dillian Whyte fight, I had Mariusz Wach in,” Itauma told DAZN ahead of his upcoming clash against Jermaine Franklin on March 28.

“He didn’t even ask how much I was going to pay him; he didn’t even ask where he was going to stay. That guy just came for revenge.

“I did six rounds with two sparring partners, then Mariusz jumped in.

“And this guy was trying to take my head off.

“These training camps are tough, even though the fights look easy.

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“I must have spent at least half the year in the boxing ring, just not under the bright lights.

“It’s a product of my hard work…

“For the Dillian Whyte fight, I had a week off after the [Mike] Balogun fight, and I hit the ground running.

“My trainer, Ben [Davison], told me he wanted to see how I performed in the later rounds.

“I sparred one or two six-rounders, one or two eight-rounders, and the rest have been ten-round sparring back-to-back.

“And bro, I was tired. I’m not going to lie, though, I was stopping most of my sparring partners.”

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