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Undefeated professional boxer Moses Itauma has declared his readiness to face undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. The British fighter made this statement following his dominant knockout victory last weekend over the tough American Jermaine Franklin.
“That’s probably a question Usyk has to answer,” Itauma told Sky Sports this week when asked about the likelihood of him facing the Ukrainian champion in his next bout. “I’m just making my way up the rankings and trying to get a shot at a world title.”
“If he [Usyk] ever wants to make that fight, of course, I’ll be 100 percent ready for it.”
What’s next for Itauma remains uncertain, though it’s easy to assume he’ll have plenty of options given his top ranking with two of the four sanctioning bodies. The WBA has already ordered Itauma to fight for their “regular” title, but with Murat Gassiev, represented by the IBA, holding that belt, a fight in Russia for a secondary title is unlikely to appeal to Itauma’s team.
Pursuing the WBO route seems more probable, but even that is far from guaranteed. Itauma’s stablemate, Fabio Wardley, who faces Daniel Dubois next month, holds that title, and arranging a fight could prove complicated as both boxers share the same trainer, Ben Davison.
“If Fabio [beats Dubois], then it will be delicate, but if Dubois wins, then that fight makes sense,” Itauma shared.
Itauma’s next appearance could also be in a non-title bout against contenders such as Martin Bakole or Filip Hrgovic.
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