Moses Itauma is set for his toughest test yet, as he prepares to take on a world level heavyweight title hopeful in Filip Hrgovic, but should he require any further incentive, it seems as though a world title fight could be offered to him, if victorious.
Itauma is currently positioned as the WBO mandatory challenger and the 21-year-old has also been pursuing a showdown with legendary unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, who looked a shadow of his former self in his recent clash with Rico Verhoeven.
It seems as though Daniel Dubois will defend his WBO title in a rematch with Fabio Wardley, whilst Usyk is being linked to a rematch with Verhoeven, as well as a mandatory defence of the WBC belt against Germany’s Agit Kabayel.
Usyk could eventually vacate or be stripped of his WBA and/or IBF heavyweight world titles, with WBA (Regular) champion Murat Gassiev potentially set to benefit as he would be elevated to full world champion.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Gassiev admitted that he ‘respects’ Itauma for both his attitude and skill, stating that the youngster remains him of himself.
“He’s 21 – very young – but his style, he doesn’t fight like a kid, he’s smart, he’s strong. He has a strong mentality. And you never know what will happen in the ring.
“Right now, I watch him, and I can say only that I respect him, only good things about him, because he’s young.
“He’s not a trash talker. He always has respect, doesn’t speak too much [about his opponents], just does his job.
“I see myself in the mirror [when I look at him], because I remember when I was 21 years old, I was the same – humble, quiet, just training and trying to win my fights, trying to do best in the ring.”
Gassiev, who was a unified cruiserweight world champion before stepping up to heavyweight, then went on to declare his willingness to fight Itauma in the UK after his clash with France’s Tony Yoka, whom he fights next month.
“[Itauma] is very young, he has a lot of time. Right now he just needs to enjoy, have fun in the gym, in training camp, in the fights,”
“He has a good future. Right now he went this way, I went that way.
“Maybe, at the end of the year or maybe next year, we can make the fight, in the UK – or anywhere. But right now for me, my focus is Tony [Yoka].”
Should Itauma and Gassiev each come out on top, a meeting between the pair would presumably represent Itauma’s quickest possible route to world honours. Although, neither man should take their position for granted, with both finding themselves in difficult contests in their respective next outings.
