Moses Itauma is preparing for the most significant challenge of his career against world-class heavyweight title contender Filip Hrgovic. Should he emerge victorious, a path to a world title may open up even faster than anticipated.
Currently the WBO mandatory challenger, the 21-year-old Itauma has been eyeing a matchup with unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. However, Usyk’s recent performance against Rico Verhoeven left some questioning if the legend is still at his peak.
With Daniel Dubois expected to defend his WBO title in a rematch against Fabio Wardley, and Usyk potentially facing another bout with Verhoeven or a mandatory WBC defense against Agit Kabayel, the landscape is shifting. Usyk may eventually vacate or be stripped of his WBA or IBF titles, which could see WBA (Regular) champion Murat Gassiev elevated to full world champion status.
Speaking with Sky Sports, Gassiev expressed his respect for Itauma’s skill set and demeanor, noting a similarity between the prospect’s approach and his own early career.
“He’s 21 – very young – but his style, he doesn’t fight like a kid; he’s smart, he’s strong. He has a strong mentality. And you never know what will happen in the ring.
“Right now, I watch him, and I can say only that I respect him, only good things about him, because he’s young.
“He’s not a trash talker. He always has respect, doesn’t speak too much [about his opponents], just does his job.
“I see myself in the mirror [when I look at him] because I remember when I was 21 years old, I was the same – humble, quiet, just training and trying to win my fights, trying to do best in the ring.”
Gassiev, a former unified cruiserweight champion who transitioned to the heavyweight division, confirmed he is open to facing Itauma in the UK once he completes his upcoming bout against France’s Tony Yoka next month.
“[Itauma] is very young, he has a lot of time. Right now he just needs to enjoy, have fun in the gym, in training camp, in the fights,”
“He has a good future. Right now he went this way, I went that way.
“Maybe, at the end of the year or maybe next year, we can make the fight, in the UK – or anywhere. But right now for me, my focus is Tony [Yoka].”
If both fighters secure wins in their next outings, a clash between them would likely provide Itauma with the most direct route to world title glory. However, both men face formidable opponents in their immediate futures, meaning nothing is guaranteed.
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