Moses Itauma has admitted he does not expect to share the ring with Oleksandr Usyk before the Ukrainian heavyweight champion retires, although he says it is a fight he would gladly take if it ever came.
The 21-year-old British rising star continues to build momentum in the heavyweight division, maintaining a perfect 14-0 professional record with 12 wins coming by knockout as he moves closer to world title contention.
Itauma’s profile rose significantly after a stunning first-round knockout in Saudi Arabia in August 2025. He followed that performance with another statement victory in March, stopping American fighter Franklin in the fifth round — becoming the first boxer to achieve that, something top names like Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte failed to do.
Now highly ranked across major sanctioning bodies, Itauma sits third with the WBC, number one with the WBA, and fifth with the IBF, although Tyson Fury has recently moved ahead of him in the WBC standings.
Ahead of his next scheduled fight in London on August 8, Itauma also attended the WBO title clash between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois in Manchester, where Dubois was stopped in the 11th round after a punishing battle.
Speaking about a possible future fight with Usyk, who remains unbeaten and holds multiple world titles, Itauma was realistic about the situation.
“I don’t think it will happen,” he said, “but I would love it to happen. If I got the chance, I would take it, but I just don’t see why he would need to fight me at this stage.”
Usyk, currently 24-0, is expected to defend his WBC title against Rico Verhoeven on May 23 as he continues his dominance at heavyweight.
Meanwhile, Itauma could soon face a major step-up against newly crowned WBA champion Daniel Dubois, although promoter Frank Warren has confirmed a rematch clause is already in place. Some boxing experts believe the young fighter may still need more experience before taking on the division’s elite.
