Moses Itauma is set to return to London on July 25. His team is taking its time in choosing an opponent – because several World Cup doors could open in the coming weeks.
Moses Itauma remains one of the most exciting topics in the heavyweight division. The 21-year-old Briton is due to return to the ring on July 25 in London’s O2 Arena, but his next opponent has not yet been confirmed. The reason: Itauma’s team first wants to wait and see how the WBO and WBC title pictures develop.
May 9 is particularly important, when Fabio Wardley defends his WBO title against Daniel Dubois. Itauma is already ranked number one by the WBO and could therefore soon become the mandatory challenger for the winner. However, the fact that Wardley, like Itauma, is under contract with Queensberry and is also trained by Ben Davison complicates matters.
The WBC circuit could be even more interesting. Agit Kabayel holds the interim title there and is waiting for his chance against Oleksandr Usyk. If Usyk does not face Kabayel after the Verhoeven fight, the German could become the regular champion – and Itauma would be a possible first challenger.
Names such as Filip Hrgovic are also still being talked about, but in sporting and strategic terms, Itauma’s camp seems to be focusing primarily on the most direct title route possible. After his strong knockout victory over Jermaine Franklin, the next step should not only sound big, but also really make sense.
Text by Robin Josten