Frank Warren has revealed a glimpse of his masterplan for the heavyweight division, culminating in a blockbuster showdown between Moses Itauma and Daniel Dubois.
It is no secret that the veteran promoter has crafted a robust stronghold in the land of the giants, as evidenced by his strategic manipulation of the IBF title situation.
Following Oleksandr Usyk’s dismissal of the belt, mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez initially found himself in pole position for a world title shot.
But with the next available contender, Itauma, already scheduled to face Filip Hrgovic on August 29, Warren sensed an opportunity to strike a deal with ‘The Cuban Flash’.
Itauma-Hrgovic has therefore been elevated to a vacant IBF title clash, with Sanchez waiting in the wings for a stab at the winner of their O2 Arena encounter.
Whatever the outcome, Warren will have three heavyweight champions – including Daniel Dubois (WBO) and Agit Kabayel (WBC) – by the time September rolls around, thus putting him in a strong position to crown the next undisputed king.
Speaking with Boxing News and other selected outlets, the Queensberry boss gave his prediction for when this coronation could take place.
“I think it’ll happen within the next 18 months [or] two years. Obviously, we’ve got to get the sanctioning bodies together to agree to a unification programme. That means mandatories being pushed back and so forth.
“So there’s a lot to be done, but one thing no one can accuse us of is not getting these fights done – we’re making this division move.
“Our ultimate goal is to see who’s the best out of this bunch of fighters; to see who’s going to hold all four belts.”
When asked whether the most desirable outcome, from Queensberry’s perspective, is for Itauma and Dubois to collide in an undisputed battle, Warren admitted that this would, indeed, be a satisfactory scenario.
“At this moment – yeah, I’d say so. Unless the winner of [Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua] is going to carry on and be involved. And I believe the winner will be Tyson.
“[But] what a great fight that [would be between] Moses Itauma [and] Daniel Dubois down the road – two massive punchers. That’s a stadium filler all day long.”
The Queensberry promoter added that Dubois’ rematch with Fabio Wardley, who he dethroned with an 11th-round stoppage in May, is set to be staged in October.
But while Kabayel, too, is expected to defend his title later this year, the one champion that Warren does not have in his promotional stable is Murat Gassiev, who inevitably has a part to play in this game of snakes and ladders.
“At the moment, all our top heavyweights are involved in fights. But of course, we’d love to get [Gassiev] as part of the scene. He’s a quality fighter. Why wouldn’t he want to get involved with [Queensberry]? We’re the home of the heavyweights.”
While the WBA champion is currently signed to IBA Pro, Gassiev has nonetheless expressed an openness to face several Queensberry heavyweights, including Itauma and Kabayel.
And who could blame him, as while fighting unworthy contenders in Russia is all well and good, the 32-year-old will surely wish to join the rat race for undisputed glory.
