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Oleksandr Usyk makes stance clear on Moses Itauma fight as he re

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Turki Alalshikh Oleksandr Usyk Moses Itauma

Oleksandr Usyk makes stance clear on Moses Itauma fight as he reveals ‘negotiations underway’ for return

Oleksandr Usyk admits he is unlikely to share the ring with precocious British heavyweight Moses Itauma next.

The Chatham southpaw has torn through the heavyweight division at an alarming rate, and at just 20 years old, he is already being touted as a world champion in waiting.

Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh ranks Usyk vs Itauma highly on his boxing wishlist.

Oleksandr Usyk makes stance clear on Moses Itauma fight as he reveals 'negotiations underway' for return | talkSPORT

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But Usyk, 38, doesn’t envisage the youngster in his immediate future.

“With Itauma? I won’t fight him,” he told UNN when asked about whether he will face Itauma in his next outing.

“He’s young. He’s still pushing me. And he said he doesn’t hit old men.”

Both Itauma and his trainer, Ben Davison, have repeatedly stated that they would accept a fight with Usyk in a heartbeat.

However, Itauma’s handlers aim to move their man at a more conservative rate.

The consensus feeling amongst his team is that Itauma needs to bank more rounds before diving in at the deep end.

Bouts with durable opponents such as Filip Hrgovic, Jermaine Franklin and Kubrat Pulev have been explored for December 13 in Manchester, although it has proven tricky to tie down his next dance partner.

Itauma’s promoter, Frank Warren, recently revealed to talkSPORTthat the majority of the boxers they have approached either priced themselves out of negotiations or flat-out rejected the fight.

Who could Oleksandr Usyk fight next?

Usyk, on the other hand, has no shortage of opponents queuing up to face him.

The Ukrainian was recently ordered by the WBO to face the winner of Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley’s upcoming clash on October 25 for the major sanctioning body’s interim title.

Meanwhile, Tyson Fury is campaigning for a trilogy with his bitter rival.

Whilst Usyk stopped short of revealing who he expects to face next, the former pound-for-pound king declared that ‘negotiations are underway’.

“I can’t say who I’ll be in the ring with because negotiations are underway,” he added.

“I’d be fooling you if I gave you a name…

“I train every day. Yesterday morning, I arrived and immediately went to the training hall.

“I train with the goal of entering the ring next year and, with God’s help, winning.”

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Oleksandr Usyk gives verdict on Moses Itauma as Turki Alalshikh

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Oleksandr Usyk Moses Itauma

Oleksandr Usyk gives verdict on Moses Itauma as Turki Alalshikh pitches massive showdown

Literally everybody is raving about British heavyweight sensation Moses Itauma – even the best fighter on the planet right now.

Oleksandr Usyk is not only the undisputed world heavyweight champion right for the second time in just over a year, he is also the consensus P4P top fighter in the world in any division.

Turki Alalshikh: "Usyk Is One of the Greatest Boxers of Our Generation" - Ready To Fight

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The 38-year-old has clearly been watching the rise of the 20-year-old Itauma as the phenom from Chatham in Kent continues to build towards the top level.

READ MORE: Moses Itauma SCHOOLS critics with genius response over ‘chin check’

‘Enriko’, as he is known, has built a 12-0 professional record with 10 of those wins coming inside the first two rounds. One devastating highlight reel finish after another.

Itauma is already ranked number 1 by the WBO (World Boxing Organization) and a world title shot appears to be on the cards sooner rather than later. When Usyk flattened Daniel Dubois last month to become undisputed, Saudi power broker Turki Alalshikh was quick to suggest that a showdown with Itauma is THE FIGHT that boxing wants and needs.

Itauma himself has been quick to suggest that his skillset is on a par with Usyk or better, but admits he needs more rounds and experience to get that championship level of endurance and mindset.

Usyk on Moses Itauma

As for Usyk, he is clearly very very impressed by the young prodigy, who mixes devastating speed and power with a remarkable ring IQ for one so young.

He told talkSPORT: “Moses Itauma. I think he is a great fighter. Young, 20 years, yes? I think Itauma has a big future.”

It remains to be seen whether that future includes a blockbusting showdown vs Usyk, but before that Moses will take a big step up in class when he meets former world title challenger Dillian Whyte in a crossroads matchup in Riyadh next Saturday night (August 16).

Itauma will start a hot favourite against a man who just three years ago was challenging Tyson Fury for the WBC heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium. Now at the age of 37, and relatively inactive since that night, there are question marks about what Whyte has left.

We will find out the answer to that question in a few days, but many expect him to give Itauma his biggest test yet.

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VIDEOS: Moses Itauma Hopes To Follow Floyd Mayweather’s P

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Floyd Mayweather

Moses Itauma Hopes To Follow Floyd Mayweather’s Path; Not Focused On Oleksandr Usyk

Perhaps no boxer left a better blueprint for how to navigate their career better than Floyd Mayweather Jr., a five-division champion, 2021 International Boxing Hall of Famer and box-office gold mine.
Rapidly ascending heavyweight contender Moses Itauma hopes he can say that he followed the same path as Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs), ahead of his fight against Dillian Whyte on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on DAZN PPV.
Tony Bellew Didn't Hesitate When Asked If Moses Itauma Is Ready To Dethrone Oleksandr Usyk - Seconds Out

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“He made a lot of money in this sport, came out with his brains intact, no damage and whatnot and nobody can say, ‘Yeah, I [beat] him up,” Itauma told The Ring’s Louis Hart. “That’s the career that I want. When people are insecure about themselves, they put a little doubt, a little bit of pressure on someone, hoping that they’re going to break because it makes them feel better.

 

“With Floyd Mayweather, he was such a good fighter. [He was] 50-0, people are insecure about that. People don’t want to accept that reality, so they put a bit of doubt and pressure on Floyd Mayweather to get him to crack just so they can feel better. I don’t look at it from that perspective. I look at it like, ‘Wow, he’s achieved a lot.'”

 

Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs) has quickly asserted himself as one of boxing’s best heavyweight prospects in recent memory with his dynamic speed, skill and power and can take a significant step in his development with a win over Whyte. The 20-year-old has won eight consecutive fights by stoppage, all of which have come inside the first two rounds.

 

Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs), though, is by far the most significant test of Itauma’s career. He has fought for the heavyweight title and has shared the ring with some of the better heavyweights in the world when he fought them before his sixth-round stoppage loss to Tyson Fury in April 2022. Whyte has won three straight fights since that defeat, though, the level of competition was subpar.

 

In his last fight, Whyte, 37, stopped Ebenezer Tetteh after the seventh round on Dec. 15.

 

Itauma, who is a 6-foot-4 1/2 southpaw and is ranked No. 1 (WBO), No. 2 (WBA), No. 6 (IBF) and No. 11 (WBC), could be in a position for a world title shot with an impressive win Saturday. That title shot, if it came to fruition in the near future, could come against undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs).

 

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh hasn’t been bashful about his intentions to make Usyk vs. Itauma should he get past Whyte. For Itauma, though, a chance to face the best heavyweight of this generation for all of the belts is the last thing on his mind.

 

“I’m not thinking about it,” Itauma said. “I’m not [thinking], ‘I wish that could happen’ because right now, I’ve got a serious contender like Dillian Whyte in front of me, but after, maybe.”

 

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