Moses Itauma is expected to be a major force in the heavyweight division, but whether he will get the chance to announce himself with a fight agains the likes of Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua remains to be seen.
In his last two fights, Itauma has bettered performances of Fury and ‘AJ’, halting Dillian Whyte in the opening round of their fight three years after he lasted six rounds with Fury, and dispatching of Jermaine Franklin within five rounds, three years after the American went the distance with Joshua.
Those triumphs have thrust Itauma up the rankings, where he is now positioned as the WBO mandatory challenger, poised for a shot at the victor of Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley’s anticipated rematch should his team decide on that route.
However, should the youngster wish to face the old guard and take on Fury, the latter told iFL TV that any offer needs to be a lucrative one.
“Nothing, but obviously money [would tempt me to fight Itauma]. For sure, I am a prizefighter, show me the money and I will do the job, but at the end of the day, if there is no big money involved, what is the point? He doesn’t have a belt, he doesn’t have nothing, what is it for?”
“I don’t need to fight f***ing kids, do you know what I mean? Listen, Moses is a good kid, he is a great boxer and everything, brilliant, but unless its going to big money, why would I want to fight Moses for f**k all?”
Fury then went on to praise the talent of his fellow Queensberry heavyweight, admitting that Itauma ‘is definitely the real deal’ after regularly sparring the Kent-based sensation.
“I have had Moses in four or five camps and he is a good kid. Good puncher, good speed, good boxing IQ, he listens, which is very important, he takes it all on board and he is a good learner, as well.
“He has got speed and athleticism, he is definitely the real deal, if he wasn’t then I would say, but don’t forget that I am the one who has gassed him up for the last four years!”
Fury will return to action this summer, with another recent sparring partner in Nelson Hysa said to be one of the leading options for the away corner.
As for Itauma, an announcment is expected soon for his own August bout, with Filip Hrgovic still the frontrunner.