After Oleksandr Usyk’s title vacation, the heavyweight division is searching for its next standout operator. Two of the frontrunners to be the divisional poster boy are Moses Itauma and Agit Kabayel, and Usyk has predicted how a fight between the undefeated duo would play out.
Usyk was linked to fights with both Itauma and Kabayel whilst reigning as the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight world champion, but his decision to vacate all three of those world titles has all but ended any hope of seeing the Ukrainian take on either man.
Instead, it is believed that Usyk will pursue Deontay Wilder for his career finale, dubbed his ‘last dance’, whilst Kabayel has been elevated to WBC heavyweight world champion and Itauma is preparing for an intriguing battle with Filip Hrgovic next month.
Should Itauma be successful against the Croatian, it seems as though a world title shot is almost guaranteed to follow, with Kabayel being confirmed as possible target for later this year.
Speaking on the DAZN broadcast of Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga on Saturday, Usyk admitted he would favour the 21-year-old to trump Kabayel, nodding his head in agreement with Tony Bellew when asked if Itauma is the one to succeed him as the man to beat.
Kabayel has also recently been mentioned for a potential world title unification against newly-crowned WBA heavyweight champion, Murat Gassiev – a move which could force Itauma to instead fight for the WBO crown against the winner of Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley’s pending rematch.
