Moses Itauma has considered how Fabio Wardley, his stablemate, will fare in his attempt to exact revenge on Daniel Dubois.
The two heavyweights delivered a brutal yet thrilling spectacle in May, when Wardley got off to a flying start after flooring his man in rounds one and three.
Dubois, however, showed tremendous grit to climb off the canvas and, after weathering the early storm, he managed to start gathering increasing momentum.
In particular, his thudding jab and tidy footwork made for a somewhat one-sided affair, with these superior fundamentals eventually leading to an 11th-round stoppage.
Yet despite the punishment he endured, Wardley activated his rematch clause shortly after and now, just five months later, is bidding to reclaim his WBO title at London’s O2 Arena.
Many have therefore expressed a degree of concern, given the swift turnaround but also, and perhaps more importantly, because Wardley has crafted a reputation of being almost too tough for his own good.
Equally, though, the 31-year-old’s resolve is seen as an advantage and, as one of his stablemates at Ben Davison’s gym, Itauma feels the Ipswich man can turn things around.
Speaking with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, the 21-year-old admitted to there being an element of bias while stopping short of giving a specific prediction.
“Obviously I’m gymmates with Fabio, and I wish him success. I think he can [win] and I think he should. And I want him to.”
Dubois, meanwhile, seems supremely confident that he retains his world heavyweight title before pursuing unification matches in 2027.
