Oleksandr Usyk may only have a couple of fights left, and there are certain boxers keen to get their shot before he retires.
The Ukrainian great has done things no man has ever done before in the four-belt era by becoming a two-time undisputed heavyweight ruler, and the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis back in 2003.
He was also undisputed cruiserweight champion before that and since moving up, has twice beaten the likes of Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury, whom he sent into retirement back in December.
Joseph Parker is currently his mandatory challenger but as yet Usyk has not shown too much interest in fighting him, instead blaming a back injury.
It appears another fighter may want their chance, as speaking to Sky Sports Boxing, young 20-year-old star Moses Itauma’s coach Ben Davison declared him ready to fight as other targeted opponents continue to say no.
“I would know that Moses is up for it. I just think it’s a win-win. As much as Moses hasn’t boxed anybody like Usyk, Usyk hasn’t fought anybody like Moses, because there hasn’t been anybody like him.
“His ability to process information, ‘when I do this you’re doing that, it hasn’t even got to be a mistake but I’m picking up on that’s your reaction to that. When you do this, I’m going to make you pay.’ There aren’t many heavyweights who think like that.
“How many more chances are you going to get to box, some will say, Usyk is up there as the best heavyweight ever. How many times are you going to get the chance to do that. It might be earlier than you want it to be, but what are you in it for?”
Usyk has had plenty of praise for Itauma before now and has referred to him as a future world champion, as well as admitting he, too, would be happy to fight the 13-0 knockout artist, though Itauma could instead take part in an eliminator with Efe Ejagbe.
