MOSES ITAUMA’S manager Francis Warren has given an indication of who he would like the heavyweight sensation to face next.
The son of Queensberry promoter Frank, Warren is at the heart of everything in Team Itauma and spoke of his pride after the teenager demolished veteran Dillian Whyte in just one round earlier this month.
“The world’s his oyster,” Warren told Boxing News on Saturday night in Altrincham.
“I’m immensely proud of him for what he did not just on fight night but the way he conducts himself during fight week and the way he conducts himself. He’s a consummate professional. What’s next? Watch this space.”
Warren confirmed that the WBO number one contender will return to the ring in December, this time in front of a British audience following his debut in Riyadh. The names in the frame range from undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk to WBO mandatory challenger Joseph Parker. Warren insists that if a major opportunity presents itself, they will take it. One name that does interest him as Itauma’s next opponent is a man who also fought on the Riyadh undercard against another British heavyweight.
“If it’s a fight that’s not seen as career-defining, well that’s on us to decide on what step we take next. I like the [Filip] Hrgovic fight. We’ll just see how Filip’s cut heals up. It was a pretty nasty cut he got against David [Adeleye]. But who knows what options we might have.”
Given the depth of Britain’s heavyweight division, it is no surprise to see an overseas contender repeatedly matched with UK opponents. Hrgovic has now faced Daniel Dubois, Joe Joyce, and David Adeleye in his last three fights, recording a 1-2 run. At 33, the Croatian sits as the WBO’s number two contender and would represent another strong step in Itauma’s development.
