Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma will return to action on July 25 at London’s O2 Arena, with an opponent yet to be confirmed following his stoppage win over Jermaine Franklin last month.
- +Itauma eyes next step after Franklin stoppage
The 21-year-old Londoner extended his record to 14-0 with 12 knockouts in March, becoming the first man to stop Franklin, who had previously gone the distance with Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte.
The 21-year-old Londoner extended his record to 14-0 with 12 knockouts in March, becoming the first man to stop Franklin, who had previously gone the distance with Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. The performance led to the WBO naming Itauma as the mandatory challenger for its heavyweight title.
Attention now turns to the division’s title picture, with WBO champion Fabio Wardley set to defend against Daniel Dubois on May 9. “If Fabio wins then it’ll be sticky but if Dubois wins, then that fight makes sense,” Itauma said, according to Sky Sports.
Wardley and Dubois were both present for Itauma’s win over Franklin, and the rising contender suggested his performance had made an impression. “I don’t think they’re worried. I think they’re both like ‘Oh! This guy’s in my division,’” he said. “I think deep inside they probably both had the same reaction. I think Fabio managed to, I guess, hide it a bit better.”
While Itauma holds mandatory status, he is not expected to face the Wardley-Dubois winner immediately, with the victor likely to pursue a bout against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. A victory in July against a higher-ranked opponent could, however, position Itauma for a future world title opportunity.
Potential opponents for the July card are expected to include established names capable of headlining a major arena event, with British champion Richard Riakporhe among those mentioned as a possible option. Riakporhe has a 20-1 record with 16 knockouts and has won his last three fights inside five rounds following his lone defeat at world level to Chris Billam-Smith.
