There’s news for all boxing enthusiasts: the 130–135-pound division is witnessing the birth of a new rivalry. But hold your horses. It’s still in its infancy. The contenders? Two young prospects who are steadily climbing the boxing ranks. And, as is often the case in this sport, their competition is still confined to the periphery of sparring sessions.

iFL TV caught up with 22-year-old Giorgio Visioli, who dominated West Midlands’ Kane Baker on the Matchroom card at Sheffield’s Park Community Centre last Saturday. During the conversation, Visioli reflected on his recent trip to the United States, where he took part in a training camp. According to him, he held his own, even shone, while sparring against Curmel Moton, Floyd Mayweather‘s prodigy. Soon after, promoter Eddie Hearn chimed in and confirmed that Visioli gave Moton a hard time. It didn’t take long for word to reach Moton, who swiftly issued a rebuttal, including a callout.

A few minutes into the interview, iFL TV’s Andrew McCart posed the question: If he performed so well against a top American prospect like Moton, who’s already being hailed as the next big thing,. Why shouldn’t Giorgio Visioli be in that same conversation?

Visioli decided this wasn’t the time to be modest. Confidently staking his claim, he revealed that he handled top-tier American talent with composure. He wasn’t overwhelmed. In fact, he believes he looked the better fighter. “I’m not going to say it was easy, but I just dealt with him quite comfortably. And, um, yeah, no, uh, it was good sparring with Curmel Moton. Obviously you know he’s big; everyone talks about him as the next Mayweather, this and that. But they should be talking about that about me for 100%,” Visioli stressed.

Soon Eddie Hearn joined the discussion. Praising Visioli, the Matchroom boss emphasized that the 22-year-old tends to look even better against high-level, more aggressive opponents. Though he’s still early in his career, Hearn believes Visioli already belongs among the elite. He shouldn’t waste time with easy fights. The focus now should be on meaningful challenges.

Curmel Moton: The story’s deeper than you think. Doors open if you’re really about it

IFL TV’s reporter circled back to the hot topic, the Curmel Moton sparring session. “He spared Curmel Morton… I said to him, Morton is pending to be the next Tank, the next Mayweather. He let the cat out of the bag a little bit by saying that he’d done well. Well, I want to say what he said, but he’d done well in that spar.”

That was Eddie Hearn’s cue. He cut in with a bold statement: “Smashed him into pieces.” But Hearn was quick to add a caveat. Highlighting that ‘sparring is sparring,’ he pointed out that there are so many young talents out there. So Giorgio Visioili needs to do something ‘extraordinary to get noticed.’

Now, as Eddie Hearn’s words started going viral, Curmel Moton wasn’t about to let them slide. So, tagging the footage, the undefeated American fired back, “Buddy definitely ain’t smash nothing.”

Perhaps people want to use this one sparring session to build up Visioli’s rep. But he’s clearly unimpressed. So he directly challenged the Matchroom team. “If you’re trying to really test his level where it counts, you know where to find me, Eddie. 🫡🦍,” Moton said.

Managed by former world champion Sunny Edwards, Giorgio Visioli joined the Matchroom stable in 2023 at just 20 years old. He made his debut on the undercard of the Chantelle Cameron vs. Katie Taylor rematch in Dublin that November. With a knockout-to-win ratio hovering around 86%, Visioli’s numbers mirror those of Floyd Mayweather’ prodigy. Two power-punchers are making big noise on opposite sides of the Atlantic, it seems.

So what do you think? Is Giorgio Visioli ready for someone like Curmel Moton?