Moses Itauma could land another world title shot, sooner rather than later, if he successfully returns in January and manages to rebuild himself.
The 21-year-old rolled the dice against seasoned veteran Filip Hrgovic in August, attempting to become the youngest world heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson.
But despite scoring a second-round knockdown and generally dominating their contest, Itauma became seriously fatigued and was stopped on his feet in the ninth.
Hrgovic therefore claimed the vacant IBF title while Itauma, according to promoter Frank Warren, is set to enter a comeback fight early next year.
Naturally, he is unlikely to jump back into the deep end and, instead, will probably return against a mid-tier opponent before stepping back up to world level.
Waiting for him at the very top, meanwhile, is Daniel Dubois, who retained his WBO title with a second-round finish over Fabio Wardley last weekend.
Speaking with Sky Sports, the 29-year-old said he would gladly face Itauma before their domestic rivalry becomes like Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua – a fight which, while still appealing to many, should have taken place several years ago.
“It was a great fight between him and Hrgovic, so there’s no shame in that really. Hgrovic just showed him that there’s always someone out there that’s stronger willed than you. More determination and he’s got kids to feed.
“I want to fight him [Itauma] sooner [than later]. Moses, [or] anyone that can give me a challenge. All the toughest fighters out there I want to face.
“I’ll break them down now. I feel like I’m at that stage now. I know how I’ll have to break them all down. Whoever I get in the ring with next, I’ll smash them up.”
With Dubois having become a two-time world champion, he would likely be made a clear favourite against Itauma based on experience alone.
