Anthony Joshua remains the king of British boxing by training young princes like Moses Itauma who want to take his crown.
Three years ago – when 34-year-old AJ was preparing for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk – the exceptionally talented 6ft 3in left-handed boxer was desperate for a sparring round and looked like a special kind of candidate.
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Team AJ strangely overlooked this wonderful player from Chatham, despite his build and style being so similar to the Ukrainian player.
The snub left Itauma, a teenager from Kent, shocked and confused.
But now the talented 19-year-old shares the same gym as London 2012 veteran Ben Davison.
And they’ve been clashing biceps and brains in the compact Harlow Sweatbox.
Rather than ignore or underestimate the latest generation of British heavyweights trying to dethrone him, Joshua is doing everything he can to bring Itauma up to his level.
The 10-0 prospect told SunSport: “I was surprised when they never called me up for the second Usyk camp because I wanted to be part of it.
“I was confused by it, but it’s not a question you want to ask a teammate anymore — ‘Sorry mate, why didn’t you invite me to the Usyk camp?’
“I now have the privilege of training in the same gym where he trains and one day I was on a walk and thinking, what am I going to name him now?
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“And he’s a mentor. Because I go to him with a lot of questions about boxing, the ring and things outside of it, I ask him a lot and he always helps me.
“I’m happy to be in this position.”
Eight years ago, when A.J.’s Saturday night opponent Daniel Dubois entered the professional scene without a veteran amateur record, he reportedly caught the attention of hall-of-fame promoter Frank Warren by knocking down Joshua in a Team GB sparring match.
And four years ago, when schoolboy Itauma was showing up in gyms across the country in his uniform, he was earning a fearsome reputation as a babyface killer that even the biggest and best didn’t want to work with.
The comparison between Dynamite Dan and the icy Itauma seems obvious, but he shrugs it off like an opponent’s jab.
He explained: “When everybody first turns professional, we all need a story to sell and that’s what they sold with Dubois, AJ being removed or whatever happened.”
“My story is different. I have a big amateur pedigree and my sparring story is that from a young age I was sparring with everyone.
“But I never said I knocked anybody out, because fight stories are just fight stories, everybody has a story.
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“I think Frank Warren has said he signed me based on footage of a sparring session – but I don’t know who I was sparring with.
“I never found out who he was, but I could understand the story because I do well in those fights and that’s where I get my confidence from.
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“If at 15 I was holding my own against players with world titles and world title prospects, now I’m 19 and I can imagine what I’ll be like in four years.”
Riyadh Season Card: Joshua vs Dubois, Saturday 21 September 4pm IST Live on TNT Sports Box Office. Click here for more details tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice,
