Demsey McKean was supposed to represent some semblance of a step up in competition for Moses Itauma last month.

The hard-hitting British southpaw quickly obliterated that thought among matchmakers and promoters involved in organizing a Riyadh Season card December 21 that featured a heavyweight championship rematch between unified champion Oleksandr Usyk and former WBC champ Tyson Fury at Kingdom Arena. Itauma, who has since turned 20, knocked McKean to the canvas twice with left hands and recorded the type of first-round knockout that left onlookers convinced he is destined to become a headlining heavyweight champion one night sooner than later.

The 6-foot-2½, 249-pound Itauma (11-0, 9 KOs) won each of his four bouts by knockout or technical knockout in 2024, which earned him The Ring’s “Prospect of the Year” award for the recently completed year. None of those four fights lasted beyond the second round because the athletic, skillful, strong Itauma made quick work of his opponents.

The rapidly ascending Itauma was among 10 winners recognized Saturday night at The Ring’s inaugural awards gala, which DAZN streamed live from Old Royal Naval College in London.

The 6-foot-6, 251-pound McKean lost his previous bout by technical knockout. It took then-unbeaten Croatian contender Filip Hrgovic (17-1, 14 KOs) until the 12th round, though, to stop McKean (22-2, 14 KOs) in August 2023 at O2 Arena in London.

Considered one of Cuba’s potential gold medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics, the intriguing, 27-year-old Hernandez instead turned pro early in 2022 and didn’t represent his home country in Paris. The technically sound, powerful middleweight improved to 6-0 (6 KOs) by winning each of his four fights in 2024 inside the distance.

This 20-year-old Cleveland native was active in 2024, a year in which he won all five of his bouts by knockout.

The diverse southpaw displayed resolve when the lightweight prospect got up from a first-round knockdown in his last fight of the year. Mason (16-0, 14 KOs) quickly regained control of that bout and knocked out Dominican veteran Yohan Vasquez (26-6, 21 KOs) in the second round November 8 at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.

This 21-year-old Colombian lightweight has shown tremendous power and speed while winning all but one of his 12 professional bouts by knockout or technical knockout. Orobio trains and resides in Montreal, where almost all of his fights have taken place since he made his pro debut in March 2023.

The 25-year-old Cuban heavyweight was very active in 2024, when he posted a 5-0 record, including five knockouts. Only one of the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Pero’s five fights last year extended beyond the third round.

Like Mason, Fernando Vargas’ most promising boxing son is a 20-year-old lightweight promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. Though fast-handed, strong and athletic, Las Vegas’ Vargas (12-0, 10 KOs) has been matched moderately as he develops in the professional ranks.