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Moses Itauma gives honest verdict on whether he’ll fight Oleksandr Usyk before he retires

Tom Eaton

18th May, 2026

Moses Itauma gives honest verdict on whether he’ll fight Oleksandr Usyk before he retires
Image credit: Getty

Many boxing fans are hoping that Moses Itauma could challenge for Oleksandr Usyk’s unified heavyweight throne before the latter retires, and now Itauma has revealed whether or not he believes the fight will happen.

Itauma has been linked to a shot at 39-year-old Usyk since he knocked out Dillian Whyte last August, but those suggestions turned into demands after the youngster dismantled Jermaine Franklin Jr in Manchester six weeks ago.

However, Usyk has declared that he would ‘break’ Itauma if the pair were to fight and has shared a lack of interest in the proposed contest, unwilling to deal too much damage to a man who could be his successor.

Nevertheless, calls for the fight remain, with plenty of fans believing that the fearlessness and exuberance of Itauma could provide Usyk with his toughest possible fight.

Still, in an interview with talkSPORT Boxing, Itauma admitted that, as much as he would love it to, he does not believe that a showdown between him and Usyk will ever take place.

“I don’t think that it will happen, but I would love it to happen.

“[It is] 100% [a chance to take the torch from Usyk]. If I get the opportunity, of course, but there is no reason for him [to want to fight me].”

Usyk defends his WBC heavyweight world title against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt next weekend, that being the first outing of a planned three-fight run which will end in his retirement.

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