Tiafack expects to meet Itauma at top of heavyweight division
Olympic bronze medallist Nelvie Tiafack is setting out on a path that he hopes will lead him to world heavyweight glory.After his podium finish at Paris 2024, Tiafack will have his second professional fight when he boxes undefeated American prospect Ramiro Robles on September 27 in Montreal.
It will be the amateur star's first fight with Jake Paul's MVP promotional company."I'm the first German to ever bring back an Olympic medal in my weight class," Tiafack told Sky Sports. "I can do even more and that's what I'm aiming for."This is what I've been waiting for basically my whole life, my career. I want to move fast with my career because obviously I was a top amateur.
"I just want a few tune-up fights, I don't want to move too slow. This is what we're aiming for. Straight to the top."
A European Championships gold medallist, Tiafack has beaten GB's Frazer Clarke and Delicious Orie in the amateur ranks. Tiafack expects to contend for world titles as a professional.
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Tiafack beat Frazer Clarke in their amateur bout
"We'll see. Faster than most that's all I can say," Tiafack declared. "It's the new wave and I'm definitely included in that."He has sparred Moses Itauma, who is already ranked No 1 with world-title sanctioning body the WBO, as well as sharing the training ring with former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua."Me and Moses we go a long way. I'm not surprised what he's bringing to the table because since the first day that we met in the ring [I could see] that that guy's special and he's a great talent definitely," Tiafack said.He does expect to meet Itauma at the top of the heavyweight division. "It might happen," Tiafack said. "He's very, very young and definitely it might happen. We're boxers. We can be friends [but] we're all aiming for the same thing."If we cross paths, that's what it is. For me it's sports. Once we're in the ring it changes completely because everybody wants to knock each other's head off. That's what it's all about. It's boxing. There's no sympathy there once we're in the ring."He has boxed in the UK before, when he beat rival European champion Orie at the World Boxing Cup in Sheffield. Tiafack would like to box in Britain as a pro too."I would say the UK is one of the boxing meccas in the world," he said. "Especially for the heavyweights."
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Tiafack has his second pro fight this month
Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions with Paul, said: "Nelvie Tiafack is MVP's first German signee and represents another powerful addition to MVP's growing roster of elite European fighters."His life story from humble beginnings in Cameroon to the world stage is one we are proud to be a part of."He's an Olympic bronze medallist, proudly representing the best of German boxing, and we believe he has all the tools to become a world champion."
