WHO NEXT FOR MOSES ITAUMA?
Ahead of last Saturday night, much of the talk centred on whether the 20-year-old heavyweight sensation Moses Itauma has what it takes to become a heavyweight great.
Dillian Whyte was seen as a step up in opposition — arguably the first fighter Itauma had faced who posed a real threat to him.
However, in less than 120 seconds, Itauma silenced any doubters who suggested he wasn’t ready for an opponent like Whyte.
First-round knockout. Job done.
If the world’s eyes weren’t on Itauma before the Whyte stoppage, they certainly are now.
He’s sparred the likes of Tyson Fury, Joseph Parker and Lawrence Okolie, with all three full of praise for the youngster.
With the Whyte fight now out of the way, it begs the question: who — and what — next for Itauma?
We’ve picked out eight possible opponents that Itauma could face and ranked the likelihood of each happening next.
Oleksandr Usyk
The thought of Itauma fighting for the undisputed heavyweight championship, at the age of 20 or 21 in just his 14th fight, sounds a little crazy.
However, it now looks like a distinct possibility.
Despite nearing 40, Usyk showed no signs of decline when obliterating Daniel Dubois last month. If anything, he looked like he could well be hitting his peak which, considering what he’s already achieved in the sport, is a scary thought.
Many believe the fight would come too soon for Itauma — understandably so — but the main person pushing for it is the man who has the final say on most big fights these days: Mr Turki Alalshikh.
Fans may not want it yet, but even now it’s certainly a sellable fight — and one that, whether they agree with it or not, people will tune in to watch.
Likelihood of it happening next: 7/10
Filip Hrgovic
Now this is the fight that really does make a lot of sense, and one that would guarantee to give Itauma the sort of test he needs at this stage of his career.
After being stopped by Daniel Dubois due to cuts last year, Hrgovic has returned with points victories over Joe Joyce and David Adeleye in gruelling affairs.
What stands out most about Hrgovic is his durability. He’s as tough as they come and his punch output is relentless.
It won’t be a one-round job for Itauma — and if it is, then it’ll be a huge statement.
The only concern is the scar tissue on Hrgovic’s face. He cuts easily, and the last thing anyone wants is the fight stopped early by the doctor, which is always a possibility.
The fight should be relatively easy to make, with both well ranked by the governing bodies, so a final eliminator would make sense.
Likelihood of it happening next: 7/10
Joseph Parker
Like a couple of others on this list, Parker is a former sparring partner of Itauma’s.
The New Zealander is enjoying something of an Indian summer since teaming up with Andy Lee.
Since his stoppage defeat to Joe Joyce back in 2022, he’s beaten the likes of Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and, most recently, Martin Bakole.
He’s in pole position for a crack at Oleksandr Usyk — or at least a world title shot — with the WBO ordering negotiations to commence between the pair.
For Parker, Itauma may be seen as high-risk, low-reward, especially with a world title chance within reach.
However, if Usyk decides not to proceed with the fight and Parker’s WBO ‘Interim’ World Title is upgraded to full status, Itauma is the WBO’s #1 contender — so we could potentially see this match-up sooner rather than later.
It all depends on what Usyk does next.
Likelihood of it happening next: 7/10
Lawrence Okolie
Former sparring partners, Okolie famously sparred Itauma for the first time when Moses was just 15 — straight after a day at school.
The former cruiserweight world champion has been in terrific form since moving up, with three straight wins including a first-round knockout of Lukasz Rozanski for the WBC Bridgerweight Title, followed by a dominant win over Kevin Lerena at heavyweight.
He’s currently ranked #3 in the WBC and #4 in the WBO, and has been crying out for a big fight against one of the division’s top names.
There’s a nice narrative here with the sparring history, and similar to Hrgovic, whoever wins would be in prime position for a world title shot.
Likelihood of it happening next: 6/10
Efe Ajagba
A bit of a left-field choice, but one that certainly makes sense.
The Nigerian has proved beatable — being outboxed by Frank Sanchez back in 2021 — but since then he hasn’t tasted defeat, and was arguably unlucky not to get the decision in his draw with Martin Bakole last time out.
What Itauma needs in an opponent is durability and good ring craft — both of which Ajagba has in abundance.
He’ll come to box Itauma, but he can punch as well — enough to stop Moses walking through him if he lands clean.
It may not deliver the biggest payday, but it would be a good match-up for Itauma at this stage.
Likelihood of it happening next: 6/10
Martin Bakole
Once one of the most avoided heavyweights in the division, Bakole is 1-1-1 from his last three fights.
He destroyed Jared Anderson on away soil back in August last year, before being stopped by Joseph Parker on just two days’ notice.
He then controversially earned a majority draw against fellow African Efe Ajagba, though he did appear to still be feeling the effects of the Parker defeat.
Bakole will come to fight, 100%. That’s all he knows. There’s no questioning his toughness, but he probably needs to get back in the win column before someone like Itauma considers him.
Likelihood of it happening next: 4/10
Agit Kabayel
Like Parker, Kabayel has been one of the standout heavyweights of the past couple of years.
He took Arslanbek Makhmudov’s ‘0’ with a fourth-round stoppage, then did the same to Frank Sanchez in seven. He also climbed off the canvas to stop the tricky Zhilei Zhang inside six rounds.
He’s the current WBC ‘Interim’ World Champion, but with no real talks of him fighting Usyk anytime soon, he’s in a bit of limbo.
Itauma isn’t ranked by the WBC, which is why this fight is unlikely. And with Kabayel still not a big name in the UK or US, the fight may not generate the money it could in a couple of years.
For purists it’s a terrific fight and test for Itauma — but for casuals, it’s a bit of a pointless one.
Likelihood of it happening next: 3/10
Zhilei Zhang
A fight that would truly be young vs old — Zhang is 22 years Itauma’s senior — it would draw attention, but not necessarily massive interest.
The 42-year-old has lost three of his last six and showed that his stamina is virtually gone in his stoppage defeat to Agit Kabayel.
He’s dangerous early, but once you get past four or five rounds, he’s fighting on instinct.
A southpaw like Itauma, he’d provide a good test — but given the lack of demand, and Zhang’s clear decline, it doesn’t make much sense right now.
Likelihood of it happening next: 3/10