Who is Teremoana Teremoana - Eddie Hearn's new heavyweight KO sensation

We take a look at Matchroom's hard-hitting heavyweight sensation Teremoana Teremoana, after the Australian knockout artist maintained his rapid upward trajectory with another statement stoppage success at Madison Square Garden this past weekend.

Whisper it quietly, but Eddie Hearn may have unearthed his latest blue-riband division diamond.

Teremoana Jr, commonly known as Teremoana Teremoana (so good they named him twice), maintained his unbeaten professional record with a first round demolition victory over Aleem Whitfield in New York on the undercard of Richardson Hitchins vs George Kambosos Jr.

Whilst it was Hitchins who captured the majority of the headlines in the Big Apple, the magnitude of Teremoana's latest showing also thrust his name up in lights on what was undoubtedly his grandest stage to date.

The giant heavyweight moved to 8-0 with an eighth successive knockout victory - this time over the previously unbeaten Whitfield, who was expected to at least hand the Aussie his toughest task within the professional ranks to date.

But, in what is fast becoming trademark fashion, the 27-year-old made light work of his opponent, out-muscling, out-powering and out-thinking the brash American to secure a fifth successive first round stoppage.

It was a performance that drew widespread acclaim, with some of the biggest names in the sport lauding Teremoana in the immediate aftermath of the clash.

"That was a frightening knockout," DAZN boxing commentator Corey Erdman said.

Sergio Mora - professional fighter turned broadcaster added: "That power man! The power is real! I was so impressed with how he set that up with his jab!"

What made the victory all the more impressive was the fact the Oceania star took the fight on at just seven days' notice, having previously been working towards a dust-up on Jai Opetaia's upcoming Gold Coast world championship card.

However, the chance to flex his muscle Stateside, on Matchroom's blockbuster New York bill, presented the world title chasing heavyweight with an opportunity he simply couldn't turn down.

I’m here to take over the heavyweight division, and this was a massive opportunity for me.

- Teremoana Teremoana (DAZN)

"Obviously, I’ve got to go one step at a time up the ladder, but I want to do it like Fight Night (the video game) back in the day, like go up the ladder, beat everyone, not skip someone, skip someone, and that’s what I’m going to do.

"I’ve been in with the best in the world in the Olympics. I believe I should have been the gold medalist... but God has a plan for me, I guess it’s on the path to be a world champ."

Teremoana's claim that he should have been crowned Olympic champion carries genuine validity too.

For many, the Aussie appeared to have done more than enough to secure the coveted gold medal in his 2020 showdown with the decorated Ukbekistani star Bakhodir Jalolov.

But the amateur boxing poster boy edged a razor-tight decision to inflict defeat upon Teremoana and agonisingly crush his Olympic dream in Paris.

"It hurt him, there's no doubt, but his redemption will come, in time, there's no doubt about that," Matchroom's Eddie Hearn, who oversaw Anthony Joshua's rise to stardom, said.

"This guy’s a future world heavyweight champion... full of energy, full of personality - he's exactly what the sport needs!

"The fundamentals that he has, the attributes that he has which really caught my eye. He has speed, he has IQ and he has terrific punching power as well.

"Just remember the name... Teremoana Teremoana is going to become a major heavyweight star."

Mark Mothershaw

• Matchroom
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