Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs) is a sensational 21-year-old southpaw slugger who knocked out contenders Dillian Whyte and Jermaine Franklin in his last two appearances.

The 21-year-old is ranked No. 6 by The Ring and rated in the top five by each of the four major sanctioning bodies, with top billing in the WBA and WBO rankings.

Anthony Joshua was also once a surefire bet to become a world champion following a gold medal run at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He captured a heavyweight crown within four years, in just his 16th professional fight and before his 27th birthday.

As the conversation turns toward throwing Itauma straight in the fire, the former two-time unified heavyweight champion suggested timing is of the essence.

“Moses has that potential. You know, he’s a great young talent coming up,” Joshua told The Ring’s CEO, Rick Reeno, on the newest episode of the “Mr. Verzace Podcast,” which debuted this week.

“I think Moses will be ready in his own time. I think talent-wise, he’s very good, very promising. But give the guy some time to develop, because let me tell you this: Yeah, I became champion in my 16th fight. Once you cross over, there’s no turning back. You are marked, and not the one studying anymore. People are studying you, trust me.

“Give him some time, let him develop. That’s my opinion, my manager hat on. What I like about Moses, when I look back at when I started, he has a lot more ... a lot more polished. Hitting with feints, up and down, and counter shots."

Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) is very much still putting the target on his back, as he plans to face Kristian Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs) on July 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. If the 36-year-old gets past Prenga in their DAZN PPV main event, he intends to continue fighting until he's 40.

The British superstar named Itauma as one of the foes he’d like to face as part of a group that also includes Tyson Fury, Agit Kabayel, a Daniel Dubois rematch, Fabio Wardley and Deontay Wilder.

As Joshua prepares for one last run, his developmental days seem like a lifetime ago.

“When I first started, it was raw. You can see my progression as I’ve moved up the ranks. Moses is showing talent from day one. So, he has that," he continued.

"Now, it’s just the pressure. When that bullseye is on your back, people want your soul. They talk about your characteristics, what you wear. That's a whole different kind of pressure in the heavyweight division, and we want to see how you deal with that. Are you able to deal with what comes with being the person we believe you can be?"

Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.