“Usyk is at the top of his game, and I think he’s abusing his power,” Itauma said on Inside the Ring Show. “So, he’s earned the right to do what he wants.”
He meant it. Itauma questioned whether the reason given for declining the fight reflected what was actually driving the decision.
“He’s not exactly going to come on camera and say, ‘No, I don’t want to potentially jeopardize my career because of a 21-year-old,'” he said.
Usyk has indicated he intends to be selective with his remaining fights before retirement. Earlier this month, he dismissed the idea of facing Itauma, suggesting the bout would do more harm than good for a young contender still building his career.
Itauma sees through it. Instead of a straight answer, he sees a calculated message, the kind of tactical phrasing fighters use to justify their choices without revealing the full story.
There is another side to this, and it comes down to what Moses actually did to earn a chance at the top.
Itauma is still early in his professional career, and he hasn’t beaten the kind of opponents that usually line up a fighter for a title shot. His most notable victory came against Dillian Whyte, a 37-year-old former contender who has been used at various stages by top heavyweights and is no longer operating at the level necessary to warrant a direct path to a title fight.
Furthermore, the opposition did not match what is normally expected of someone proclaiming a unified champion. There are still established contenders ahead of him, making it difficult to take the call seriously at this stage.
Itauma speaks as if he already belongs in that position, while his record shows a fighter who continues to be moved forward.
Usyk is in a position where he can choose his opponents, and there is no pressure on him to take on a prospect who is still building.
Itauma’s confidence stands out, but so does the leap he is trying to make. For years, Usyk beat top names in the division. Itauma continues to add those names to his record.
The call is there, but the work that usually backs it up hasn’t happened yet, and until that changes, the fight he wants isn’t one Usyk has any reason to take.
