Oleksandr Usyk has reacted to calls for him to fight Moses Itauma.
Usyk has long been a fan of Itauma, having previously picked him out as a future world heavyweight champion.
Right now, the Ukrainian southpaw magician is taking a break, allegedly to recover from a back injury. Last time out in July, he beat Daniel Dubois for the second time to add the IBF belt back to his collection and become the first-ever two-time undisputed heavyweight ruler in the four-belt era.
Following that, he was presented with Joseph Parker as his WBO mandatory but has yet to engage in discussions about a potential clash.
Meanwhile, young Itauma got a standout win in August when he knocked out Dillian Whyte inside the first two minutes of the first round, having also stopped 10 of his previous 12 opponents. He immediately called out Usyk in the ring afterwards, though many think it is too soon for the 20-year-old to make such a huge step up.
In a video shared by BoxNation, Usyk gave his latest views on the young star and their potential clash.
“Great man, great fight. I think Itauma is the future for boxing, I like this guy. Yeah definitely [He’s ready for me].”
In terms of Usyk’s next fight, Itauma is expected to return later this year against another top contender in preparation for a potential future world heavyweight title shot, while Parker looks set to fight Fabio Wardley, though Usyk has been told he must provide evidence of his injury or else risk being stripped of his title.
If Usyk does end up fighting Itauma, many believe the former undisputed cruiserweight champion will have too much for the young hopeful.
