Moses Itauma said he felt ready to face Oleksandr Usyk just moments after his last victory.
Itauma is just 20-years-old but is already hugely confident in his own abilities. And he’s not alone, the likes of former WBC ruler Tyson Fury and now two-time undisputed king Usyk himself have both named him as a potential top dog in the division.
Last time out, Itauma added an 11th KO to his ledger when he stopped tough world-level contender Dillian Whyte inside two minutes. He has also beaten eight other men inside the first round, with 13 wins overall since turning pro.
Matchmaking is now the real challenge, as there is little risk for many fighters to agree to share a ring with the young star. It how now emerged, however, that he could be just one fight away from a showdown with Usyk for all four major belts.
Frank Sanchez was due to box Efe Ajagba in a final eliminator to decide who would be the IBF mandatory for Usyk, with the WBO’s man Joseph Parker already waiting in line for his shot.
Ajagba has now pulled out of that fight per Sky Sports, so he loses his slot, which means the next highest ranked man, Itauma, could instead get the call.
As of yet, there is no real timeframe on this fight, nor on when the world title defence could be called for Usyk.
Usyk has insisted he has had a back injury, which has prevented him from negotiating his next fight since he beat Daniel Dubois by 5th KO back in August.
