Following another brutal knockout win, a potential showdown between Moses Itauma and Oleksandr Usyk is being discussed by fans again and ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed has revealed his thoughts on the proposed matchup.
Itauma extended his KO streak to 10 consecutive bouts when he did what Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua couldn’t and handed Jermaine Franklin a first stoppage defeat, with a viral left-uppercut followed by a right hand to close the show in the fifth round.
Well positioned with both the WBA and WBO, Frank Warren promised that Itauma will fight for world honours before the end of 2026, unveiling that another outing is pencilled in for July before his challenge for the heavyweight throne.
Although it’s unclear who that opponent might be, Usyk currently holds the WBA title. However, if he refuses to face his mandatory challenger, he could be stripped of the belt and replaced by Murat Gassiev.
Meanwhile, Itauma’s stablemate Fabio Wardley is the reigning WBO champion, but he is scheduled to fight Daniel Dubois in five weeks’ time.
Should Usyk change his plans and offer the 21-year-old a title shot, ‘Naz’ told DAZN Boxing that you cannot rule out a victory for the youngster.
“He is doing nothing but demolition jobs. We love Moses, he is the next biggest thing out of this country, there is nobody like him.
“I love the fact that he said to me that I am his favourite fighter. That is enough for me. I mean, the guy is just something out of this world and you know what, don’t put it past him to beat anybody, including Usyk, including everyone, because he is that good.
“That is the truth and I am just so happy, that he is with Frank Warren and Francis [Warren], his manager. I love it.”
Usyk next fights on Saturday, May 23, against Rico Verhoeven, with his expected triumph sure to spark further talk of a clash with Itauma.