Tony Bellew has named the heavyweight who, while not posing much of a threat, could be capable of taking Moses Itauma into the later rounds.
Prior to his last outing, against Filip Hrgovic, Itauma’s handlers were struggling to find a mid-tier opponent who could go longer than two rounds.
Ultimately, they settled with Jermaine Franklin, who did show a level of durability before suffering an emphatic fifth-round stoppage defeat in March.
Then came what was considered a calculated risk against Hrgovic, who had reached the periphery of world-class but was widely expected to be too slow and cumbersome for Itauma.
That much seemed to be the case for the first eight rounds, as the Croatian incurred an early knockdown and was generally getting outclassed.
In round nine, though, Hrgovic scored a stunning stoppage over the exhausted 21-year-old and claimed the vacant IBF world title in August.
As a result, Itauma is expected to return against a more inferior opponent early next year, with former world champion Bellew telling Fight Your Corner that he should collide with Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller.
“Do you know what would be a good comeback fight for Moses? Jarrell Miller. The worst thing you can do is throw that kid in and it’s over in a round.
“The boy needs rounds … and the best way to get him rounds is [against] Jarrell Miller. Jarrell Miller’s not a puncher; he’s never been a puncher. He’s the heaviest punchbag I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Miller, who is currently ranked number one by the WBA behind full champion Murat Gassiev, comes off a unanimous decision victory over Lenier Pero in April, while having previously lost to Daniel Dubois and drawn with Andy Ruiz Jr.
