AS outlandish as it may sound, Frank Warren refuses to rule out a potential showdown between bona fide heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk and rising star Moses Itauma later this year.
The Queensberry Promotions boss has every degree of confidence, rightfully so, that Itauma, 11-0 (9 KOs), will soon emerge as the next dominant force in the land of the giants.
Already, the 20-year-old has shone brightly as a dynamic southpaw, with dynamite in both fists, that could quite easily reign supreme in years to come.
In his last outing against Demsey McKean, the ruthless knockout artist wasted no time before producing a destructive first-round finish, offering his opponent little more than a cat in hell’s chance of hearing the final bell.
And yet, while there has seemingly been no willingness to pump the brakes on his progression, Itauma is now gearing up for a backwards step against Mike Balogun.
The American, whose record remains far from the most inspiring, is perhaps best known for his second-round stoppage defeat to former world cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev back in 2023.
Nevertheless, Balogun must be commended for agreeing to face Itauma on May 24, when the pair will square off on the undercard of Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman.
With the Brit widely expected to complete his assignment in Scotland, though, his promoter, Warren, has begun to consider future opportunities.
One of which, as it happens, is a possible clash with Usyk, 23-0 (14 KOs), but, failing that, Itauma could still find himself in a title fight before long.
“I think he could fight for a world title this year,” Warren told Sky Sports. “Who knows? He may fight [Usyk] this year. Anything’s possible.
“We’ve got to see what happens but the thing is with Moses, I think within another fight or two he’s quite capable of being in exactly the same company as all these guys.”
