Promoter Frank Warren says Oleksandr Usyk will have to fight #1 ranked WBA and #1 WBO contender Moses Itauma or vacate the belts. He was asked for his reaction to undisputed heavyweight champion Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) saying he would not fight Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs).
Sanctioning bodies include
Warren points out that if the WBA or WBO order the fight, Usyk will have to choose between defending against Itauma or giving up one of the titles.
Itauma’s rapid rise
The 20-year-old Itauma doesn’t look like he’ll be losing to anyone anytime soon, especially with the cautious manner in which he’s being matched. He’s not thrown in with any of the killers, like Frank Sanchezwhere he could be exposed. It is therefore only a matter of time before Usyk (38) is forced to defend against Itauma or evacuate.
“Well, Moses is #1 in two of the governing bodies. And if they ask for it, he’ll have to think about that one,” promoter Frank Warren said. BoxNationwho is responding to undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk saying he will not fight Moses Itauma.
It will make Usyk look weak if he vacates one of his titles to avoid the 20-year-old Itauma. He will have to think about it before making the choice. For Warren, it would look better if he had Itauma tested against Frank Sanchez first before putting him in a title fight against Usyk.
Test the “Hype Job” theory
Given Moses Itauma’s poor resume, both in the amateurs and the pros, he looks like a classic example of an artificially maneuvered fighter. He didn’t get any real tests to justify being moved to #1. Fighters like Sanchez, Richard Torrez Jr., and Filip Hrgovic would be ideal opponents for Itauma to show that he is not a fake hype job.
Evacuate or Validate
“If they call for one of those fights, Moses keeps winning and stays where he is, then he (Usyk) will must fight him or he will have to vacate the belt,” Warren says of Usym being put in a position where he will have no choice but to defend against Itauma or relinquish his WBA or WBO titles.
“Everything that was asked of him, he did. Oleksandr is a great fighter, and he has four belts. He will do what he feels he wants to do, right? Good luck to him,” Warren said.
Usyk’s Fading Options
If Usyk is serious about staying in the game for three more years until he is 41, he will have no choice but to fight Moses Itauma. He is quickly running out of marketable options for fights that will continue to bring in the money he has been making recently. This is what is left for Usyk to make mega-millions:
- Tyson Fury – trilogy
- Moses It will hurt
- Fabio Wardley
- Joseph Parker
- Anthony Joshua – trilogy
- Jai Opetaia
- David Benavidez
Last updated on 23/10/2025
