With Moses Itauma ready to headline the O2 in London on July 25, BoxingScene explores the next step of the man who emphatically became the first person to stop Jermaine Franklin in his most recent bout. Itauma is now 14-0 (12 KOs) and the gifted southpaw halted Franklin in March in Manchester, taking five rounds.
Matt Christie: Itauma is sitting pretty with all four sanctioning bodies, and Queensberry, understandably, is likely going to wait to see how the upcoming key heavyweight battles play out before making their choice on which route they choose. Should Filip Hrgovic get past Dave Allen with the minimum of fuss he is Itauma’s favored foe so, guess work, I’ll go with him. Personally, I’d like to see Itauma forget about titles in 2026 and have two more fights, with each designed to further his education, so he’s ready for liftoff in 2027. With that in mind, a fit and well Andy Ruiz Jnr would be perfect for a summer showcase.
Ryan Songalia: Itauma is in a pretty interesting spot as a rising heavyweight. He’s just 21, has a strong amateur background and hits like a ton of bricks. I’d venture to say that you wouldn’t need to protect him too much despite his age. I’ll throw out a name of a guy I’d like to see him fight: Joseph Parker. If Parker can get cleared and licensed again, he would be a great test for Itauma. Or better yet, why not fight Agit Kabayel? Kabayel has been the forgotten man when it comes to getting a title shot he clearly deserves, and the winner would have the best argument for a big opportunity. Itauma is still young but if he’s going to make some noise and get on the radar for a big fight with someone like Usyk or even a Fury or Joshua, he needs to make some statements.
Eric Raskin: Assuming the goal is to get Itauma much-needed rounds and to continue to build up his credibility, without necessarily putting him in against anyone with a tricky style, I might like to see him take on Efe Ajagba. The once-beaten Nigerian would be Itauma’s best opponent to date, has the skills and athleticism to compete, could possibly last the 10-round distance, and wouldn’t be much of a threat to actually win. That said, I could easily see the opportunity going to someone slightly more high profile and a notch below Ajagba on recent form – like Jarrell Miller, provided he gets by Lenier Pero this weekend.
Tris Dixon: Makhmudov would be interesting. He can compare results with others, including Fury and Kabayel, would likely get rounds and would have the opportunity to make a statement. I feel like there is no rush for a top gun whatsoever and Makhmudov now is relatively well known in the UK.
Jason Langendorf: Itauma’s team has no reason not to slow-play his development of a 21-year-old heavyweight who still needs rounds. Who he will fight next, who I want to see him fight and who he should fight could be three different fighters, but I’ll stick to the question at hand: If I were handling Itauma’s matchmaking, my first calls would be to Otto Wallin and Kubrat Pulev – two veterans who have the durability and savvy to extend a fight and teach Itauma a thing or two but who lack the devastating one-punch power to derail his career before it really gets started.
Tom Ivers: I’d love to see Itauma in there with Hrgovic, but it’s a pretty quick turnaround for him given he will be fighting Dave Allen on May 16 in Doncaster, England, The contest should be a pretty straight forward one, but I doubt he’s be willing to get straight back in to camp for a fight with Itauma. So, my pick would be Zhilei Zhang. The Chinese heavyweight represents a tough task for the promising youngster, and is perhaps the hardest-hitting heavyweight in the division. Itauma is still yet to pass the chin check, and I’m quietly confident that Zhang could take some shifting. He may have stamina issues, but he is as tough as they come.
