As Moses Itauma looks to become the next dominant force of heavyweight boxing, he could soon find himself on a collision course with one of the division’s most destructive punchers.
At this stage in his career, the 21-year-old has shown signs of world-class potential but is yet to fully cement himself at such a level.
His last outing resulted in a fifth-round stoppage of Jermaine Franklin who, while known for his durability, was ultimately unable to weather a ferocious storm.
But while this triumph in March could only be described as a stepping stone towards world level, Itauma is already ranked No.1 with both the WBO and WBA.
As the WBA’s leading contender, the Brit could soon find himself in a world title fight with Murat Gassiev, who currently holds the sanctioning body’s ‘Regular’ belt.
For such a matchup to materialise, Oleksandr Usyk would need to vacate, or be stripped of, his WBA strap, allowing Itauma to challenge for the full world title.
But while many would favour Itauma to emerge victorious, Gassiev’s promoter, Al Siesta, has told Sky Sports that the Russian’s power should not be overlooked.
“There are stories, hidden in the dressing rooms of the sparring camps, about how heavy-handed Murat Gassiev actually is.
“People who’ve sparred him, and fought him, know all about his power. I truly believe he will unify the division.
“Maybe it will be Moses Itauma, [it could be] Daniel Dubois – whoever that might be, they will be on a collision course with Murat Gassiev.
“We actually wanted to make a fight against Moses Itauma, but it didn’t work out. Hopefully we will get it soon.
“I do believe Moses is a great prospect, and he might be the future, but, for me… [Gassiev] is the present.”
Gassiev will face Tony Yoka at Moscow’s VTB Arena on July 11, with the former unified cruiserweight champion entering arguably his most meaningful assignment as a heavyweight.
Itauma, meanwhile, is expected to return to action at London’s O2 Arena towards the end of August, potentially against top 10 heavyweight Filip Hrgovic.