Does Eddie Hearn have his own Moses Itauma? Teenage heavyweight sensation wins again

Leo Atang may only just be getting started, but is he Britain’s next big heavyweight star? 

If Moses Itauma is the new Anthony Joshua, is Atang on his way to being the next Itauma? The initial signs look promising. 

Atang moved to 2-0 with a destructive first-round stoppage against Cristian Uwaka, and it was a performance that demonstrated the incredible punching power that those close to the York heavyweight have spoken about frequently. 

Atang neglected further amateur experience to turn pro earlier this year and with all the leading promoters chasing his signature, Atang opted to place his career in the hands of Eddie Hearn. 

The Matchroom boss may have been looking at Frank Warren’s recent heavyweight boom and decided that focusing on the future could be vital for his plans. 

Warren, in recent years, has taken huge gambles on Daniel Dubois and Itauma, and now he has both in prosperous positions with both men now featuring in major fights and continuing to be linked to even bigger ones. 

Does Atang have the same potential? 

It is still early days and if Atang can remain busy and build his record with impressive stoppages, the noise regarding his capabilities will surely get louder. 

Atang demonstrated superb handspeed in his bout against Uwaka, and there appears to be a lot of thought when picking his attacks. 

Capable with both left and right hand, Atang flattened Uwaka with a big right hand and there was further variety when Uwaka decided to fight on, but not for much longer, as the referee made a sensible intervention. 

Bigger tests are awaiting Atang and the time will come when he is eventually taken into the latter stages of a fight. There is enough to suggest that he will have enough to withstand tougher examinations, and if that proves to be the case, British boxing’s recent trend of churning out elite heavyweights could be extended courtesy of Atang. 

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