Watching Moses Itauma in the ring, with his gentle yet ominous stare, devastating punches and imposing frame, you see a pure fighter, one that has been undefeated in 13 matches (winning 11 of those by knock-out) and has garnered praise from none other than Mike Tyson. But when you engage in conversation with the boxer, you meet a philosopher with an ‘ain't-no -mountain-high-enough’ confidence that belies his 20 years. Add to that his natural grace, and it’s easy to understand why this Nike athlete and third culture kid ranks among the most promising leaders of African excellence.

Itauma was born in Slovakia to a Nigerian father (from the Efik tribe) and Slovakian mother, the family moving to the UK when he was a child to seek a better life. “It was a tough upbringing,” he remembers. “With my father, you wouldn't stay in bed on a Sunday morning. He would tell you to read your books, wash the dishes or clean your room. That's the thing with African families. Nothing scares those strong men, but they are scared of their mothers,” he laughs.

Growing up, his first passion was football. It was his younger brother Karol, now a light-heavyweight fighter, who encouraged him to try boxing and soon enough, the lure of the sport took hold. “In football, if you give 100 percent while your teammates don't, you lose. With boxing, the outcome is in your hands,” he reflects. And by the age of 15, his special gift became clear when he took out Lawrence Okolie.

He started studying legendary boxers like Naseem Hamed and Tyson, looking up to them but, he’s careful to note, not putting them on pedestals. “I told myself that if I work hard, I'll be better,” he says. “In boxing, you don't compare yourself to anyone else but there's a saying that goes, 'A good man learns from his mistakes while a great man learns from the mistakes of others’.” Fast forward to 2025, and his determined approach has paid off. As the reigning Commonwealth, WBA Intercontinental and WBA International heavyweight champion, he finished off his last two opponents, Dillian Whyte and Mike Balogun, in round one and two respectively.

Up next is US fighter Jermaine Franklin, who he’ll face in Manchester on January 24, 2026. In preparation, he has been following a strict daily routine – boxing in the morning, before running and lifting weights in the afternoon. He says he has always been very ''present'' while in camp with his coach, and doesn’t let his growing notoriety phase him. “My training hasn't changed. The difference is all the photoshoots I have to do now,” he says with a smile.

Itauma also recently took time out to set foot on African soil for the first time. Keen to experience his heritage and strengthen his sense of belonging, his whirlwind trip to Lagos included visiting a grassroots boxing gym that he plans to help refurbish on his next visit, and sparring with young talent. It was a truly emotional visit from start to finish. “When I arrived at the airport, the police officers found out that I was Nigerian and were very proud of me. I don't have that kind of recognition in Slovakia,” he says. What struck him most was the positive energy of the Nigerian people, and how well turned out they all looked. “No matter where they come from or how much money they have, everyone wears nice shoes, has a fresh haircut. They're always presentable.”

Asked whether he could see himself living in Nigeria one day, Itauma admits that he and his circle of friends, who all hail from around the globe, feel that England is still their home. “Our base in the UK. Anywhere outside of it, you feel out of rhythm. And living in a cold country forces you to get up and work. It gives you purpose,” he asserts. But he is eager to return to Nigeria soon and to discover other countries on the continent, with Cameroon, Eritrea and Ghana at the top of his list.

This open mindset certainly shines through in his fashion choices. “I pick something up from every country I visit, from UAE to Nigeria,” he says. One of his striking fight night looks was designed for him by the artist Olaolu Slawn. And although he favours Nike tracksuits for training and travelling, he also enjoys brushing up in bespoke suits, such as at the 2025 Best of Africa ceremony, where he accepted the Youth Empowerment Award.

Itauma’s appreciation for relaxed finery feeds into this Nataal story inspired by Nike’s collaboration with Air Afrique. On set, he’s drawn to the colourful knitwear of South Africa’s Maxhosa and a statement coat by Moroccan label Zoubida. And on his feet are a pair of Nike Air Max RK61, a sleek, zip-up shoe that embodies the undeniable flair of today’s African descent athletes, artists and cultural front-runners who are playing their A-game on the international stage.

Air Afrique, the Paris-based multidisciplinary collective co-founded by Jeremy Konko, Lamine Diaoune, Djiby Kebe and Ahmadou-Bamba Thiam, takes its name from the airline that formed in 1961 to connect many African capitals to each other and their diasporic communities – not only through its routes but through its postcolonial ideals and cultural patronage. Air Afrique’s Nike partnership honours this post-Independence mood, when a shared story of immigration was communicated through personal style, and taking to the skies meant always looking one’s best. The Air Max RK61 is built for the new guard of visionaries who are driven by their heritage while building their own elevated trajectory. People like Moses Itauma.

“At the heart of everything we do is an effort to encapsulate the African spirit that lives in all of us,” explains Thiam. “Our generation is breaking free from constraints and leaning much more into a self-defined relationship with identity.” Of the Nike collaboration, he adds: “We’re telling the lesser-known story of African elegance through the lens of this new generation – a blend of returning home in your finest form, and the comfort associated with sport.”

For Nataal, Itauma imagines himself preparing to take to the air, getting his pre-trip trim and putting together his sharpest wardrobe. It’s a story that embraces the nostalgic pride of his elders and his position among the Première Classe of athletes who know where they come from and refuse any limits. Ultimately, Itauma says, it’s about African unity: “Often when I hear Black people talking about where they're from, they don’t mention the country. They say 'I'm African' because they appreciate the bigger picture. We [Africans] are all one.”