Roy Jones Jr has offered his take on a potential heavyweight clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma, firmly believing that the timing of their matchup could determine its result.
As the current bona fide king of his division, Usyk has left himself with very little to prove, but hopes to fight two or three more times before hanging up his gloves.
While nothing is yet confirmed, the Ukrainian is widely expected to face former world champion Deontay Wilder later this year, perhaps in April or May, after having claimed a fifth-round stoppage victory over Daniel Dubois in July 2025.
Back then, Usyk achieved his goal of becoming a three-time undisputed champion across two weight classes. He is now angling to defend his WBC, IBF and WBA titles against a commercially viable opponent in America, rather than the toughest test the division offers.
British heavyweight prodigy Itauma, meanwhile, finds himself on a vastly different trajectory following his first-round finish over Dillian Whyte in August.
Despite all the hype that surrounds this promising 21-year-old, Itauma is still yet to compete anywhere near the level of heavyweight phenom Usyk.
Instead, the precocious talent is now gearing up to face Jermaine Franklin, an opponent that is expected to offer more resistance than his previous opponents, on January 24.
For Jones, who recently spoke with Clubhouse Boxing, it is crucial that Itauma continues to build his experience incrementally, rather than entering a premature test against Usyk.
“[Whether Itauma can become a dominant force] depends on how well [he] understands that pressure; how bad he wants it.
“He can do anything he wants to do because he has all the ability, he’s very explosive [and] he does everything good.
“There’s nothing that should really stop him from becoming a world champion, except [by] moving too fast.
“If you put him in with Usyk right now, that’s moving too fast.”
Jone has previously told The Ring that matching the two up would be like ‘throwing Itauma to the wolves.’
The pair may never cross paths, though a ‘changing of the guard’ fight remains a possibility.
