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British boxing icon says one heavyweight is Moses Itauma’s ‘kryptonite’: “He’s all wrong for him”

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Moses Itauma is deemed by many to be the future of the heavyweight scene, but in the eyes of one British boxing icon, there is one fellow heavyweight who could be the youngster’s ‘kryptonite’.

Itauma is set to square-off with Flilp Hrgovic in a bout to determine the new IBF heavyweight world champion later this month, following Tuesday’s news that IBF #1 contender Frank Sanchez has agreed a step-aside deal. 

As a result, by accepting an IBF title challenge, Itauma has lost his position as the WBO mandatory challenger, that would have seen him poised for a shot at the victor of Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley II – which is expected to take place before the end of the year.

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Speaking with talkSPORT, three-division world champion Duke McKenzie seemed thankful that Itauma had avoided a showdown with Dubois, but went on to declare newly-crowned WBC titleholder Agit Kabayel as the 21-year-old’s possible ‘kryptonite’.

“It’s just my opinion, but Daniel Dubois is all wrong for Moses Itauma right now. Dubois is where he needs to be; confidence-wise, fitness-wise, power-wise, because he has been there and he has done a number on some of the other top heavyweights in the division.

“He has got the experience on his side. He has beaten Hrgovic, Dubois, so I think that right now, stylistically, he is all wrong for Moses Itauma and also I will throw Kabayel into the mix – he is another that is tried, tested and proven at this level.

“Alright, he just got a vacant title, he got the belt handed to him but he is a champion nonetheless. I think that he is kryptonite for Moses Itauma right now. 

“I’m not saying that Moses isn’t an outstanding fighter, because he is. I’m not saying that he doesn’t win a world title, because I think he will. I just think that there are certain fighters that he doesn’t want to call out right now, because he still needs that experience to mix it with the elite fighters.”

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Kabayel has claimed wins over the likes of Frank Sanchez, Zhilei Zhang and Derek Chisora in his career, and is expected to return to action later this year in a first defence of his WBC crown.

As for Itauma, his fight with Hrgovic takes place on Saturday, August 29, as the Brit headlines at the O2 Arena and looks to make good on the early potential shown in his career by becoming boxing’s second youngest heavyweight champion of all time.

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Ryan Clark compares Coach Prime to Archie Manning while shutting down rhetoric around “present fathers” 6 days after visiting Shedeur Sanders’ camp

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Six days after visiting Shedeur Sanders’ training camp with the Cleveland Browns, former ESPN analyst Ryan Clark delivered a pointed message to defend Deion Sanders’ move. The Colorado coach has been under intense criticism from a section of the fans for his visit to Cleveland.

Speaking during an episode of “The Pivot” podcast released on Wednesday, Clark compared Coach Prime to former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning. He emphasized that both men deserve praise for their active role in supporting their children rather than criticism.

“Archie Manning went to practices at Tennessee,” Clark said. “Archie Manning saw both of his sons at practice. Archie Manning supported his sons at games. And Archie Manning should be applauded for that, for being a present.

“And not only just a present father, but a father that poured into his sons and allowed them to be what they are, as is Deion Sanders. Deion Sanders is doing exactly what you’re supposed to do when you have a level of cachet that allows your sons or allows your children to receive a platform and then take advantage of it in the ways that they should.”

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Archie Manning played a crucial role in the career of both Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, with both winning the Super Bowl twice. Peyton is already a Pro Football Hall of Famer while Eli is primed for a place in Canton. Ryan Clark believes that’s the exact role Deion Sanders is playing in Shedeur’s NFL career.

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Ryan Clark believes being popular shouldn’t stop Deion Sanders from supporting his son

Dropping his opinion on Deion Sanders’ criticism, Ryan Clark believes the popularity of the Pro Football Hall of Famer shouldn’t stop him from supporting his son. The analyst, who was fired by ESPN last month, believes Coach Prime is doing what the average father would do.

“Just because I’m an extremely successful human doesn’t mean I should support my children any less,” Clark said. “Deion Sanders has not only been there for Shedeur Sanders as a father since birth, he coached in high school with him; they moved to Jackson State together; they moved to Colorado together.

“When you think about parenting, when you think about pouring into your seeds, that’s what it’s supposed to look like. That would be the epitome of what it’s supposed to be.”

In an era when many athletes speak about the challenges of absent fathers, Ryan Clark’s message served as a reminder of the scrutiny parents who are involved are bound to face. This comes at a high level when the parent is a popular figure like Deion Sanders.