Mike Balogun is the former NFL star who knocked out the son of a heavyweight legend and now faces Brit star Moses Itauma
MIKE BALOGUN is the former NFL star-turned-heavyweight boxer daring to take out feared Brit Moses Itauma.
Itauma is only 20 years old and 11 bouts into his professional career but has struck fear into the division with nine brutal knockouts.
He has even been dubbed the next Mike Tyson – who became the youngest heavyweight champion of all time aged 20.
Finding willing opponents to put their reputation on the line against the youngster from London has proved to be Itauma’s toughest fight so far.
But stepping up this Saturday in Scotland on Josh Taylor’s undercard is southpaw Balogun.
The 6ft 1in American first made his name in the NFL, playing for the likes of the San Francisco 49ers, the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys.
But his career as a linebacker came to an end in 2012 – by that time he had already trained in boxing as part of his American football regime.
It was only after being released by the Virginia Destroyers that Balogun decided to cross over to professional boxing.
He made his debut in 2014 and his career transformation was underway.
Balogun’s biggest win to date came in 2021 when he knocked out Trey Lippe Morrison – son of the late former world champion Tommy.
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The 41-year-old suffered his first and only defeat in 2023 to Murat Gassiev – who lost his cruiserweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk five years earlier.
Balogun will come to the UK with nothing to lose meanwhile Itauma is tipped for greatness.
His promoter Frank Warren has already warned not to rule out a world title fight in the future with Usyk, 38.
Meanwhile Martin Bakole, 31, and Filip Hrgovic, 32, are two others on Itauma’s radar.
Warren told BoxNation: “Billy Nelson (trainer of Bakole) sent me a text about him making the fight at the end of the year or next year.
“Moses is not sitting around waiting for him, is he? He’s gonna get on with his business and who knows, I would expect by the end of this year for Moses to have at least another three fights.
“I haven’t got to drum up Bakole in my job, I’m in the Moses Itauma business and that’s all I care about.
“I think that’s [Itauma and Hrgovic] also a good fight to make. I wouldn’t have a problem doing that sometime this year.”