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Philippines, 18 Aug 2025 |
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Oleksandr Usyk vs Moses Itauma: The Heavyweight Matchup That May Be Closer Than We Think By Dong Secuya PhilBoxing.com Mon, 18 Aug 2025  Following his sensational first-round TKO of Dillian Whyte in Riyadh yesterday, rising heavyweight star Moses Itauma has found himself at the center of a boxing firestorm, with some of the sport's biggest names already pushing for a monumental clash with No. 1 pound for pound fighter and undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. The unexpected momentum for a potential showdown has been driven by key figures in the sport. Turki Alalshikh, the powerful head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority pushing for the dream fight. The influential Ring Magazine has posted on X stating that Alalshikh wants to see Moses Itauma fight Oleksandr Usyk next. Alalshikh's backing often turns fantasy matchups into reality, making his statement a significant development.
The 20-year-old Itauma, still basking in the glow of his victory, has also added fuel to the fire. When asked about a potential bout with the pound-for-pound king, Itauma said he is willing to face Usyk next. Itauma said after stopping Whyte: “Honestly, I’ll fight anybody they put in front of me. These lot are saying Usyk? Listen, if I’m being completely honest, Parker and Kabayel deserve the shot, but I’ll love to take the opportunity as well, chuck me in there with those lot.” Usyk was ordered by the WBO to defend his belt against mandatory challenger Joseph Parker after defeating Daniel Dubois last month at Wembley Stadium in London. Usyk however has requested an extension on negotiations to fight Parker due to injury. This could be an opportunity for Itauma to get into the picture and fight Usyk or Parker next. The heavyweight division’s most outspoken figure, Tyson Fury, has also weighed in, making a bold prediction that Itauma "would wreck" Usyk following his devastating win over Whyte. "I keep getting asked about young Moses Itauma fighting Oleksandr Usyk and fighting all the other big names," Fury said on his Instagram. "My opinion is not someone who doesn't know boxing. My opinion is someone who has been there and won every single belt. Won everything there is to win in boxing and done very well. Boxing is a young man's game, like I told Wladimir Klitschko when he was 37. Boxing is a young man's game. It waits for nobody. So here is the opinion, and you heard it here first. "Moses Itauma will wreck all them all old men out of the division. Usyk, AJ, Miller. Whoever there is that's old. Zhang, whoever else the f*** there is, Luis Ortiz. All these big names of the past. "Even the man who took my belts. Usyk, Moses will wreck him because it's a young man versus an old man. And an old man can't mess with a young man." However, in a show of humility and realism, Itauma has also tempered these expectations. Despite his willingness to take on the challenge, the young fighter has said that he feels he doesn't deserve to fight Usyk yet. This acknowledgment highlights the massive step up in competition that a fight with Usyk would represent, moving from a formidable opponent in Whyte to arguably the most technically gifted heavyweight of his generation. "I don't want to call out Usyk because I don't believe I deserve the opportunity,” Itauma told BBC. “But guys that do deserve the opportunity, I want to fight them a lot. While a fight with Usyk may seem premature for a fighter with only 13 professional bouts, the push from influential figures like Alalshikh and the public backing from a superstar like Fury suggests the possibility is not as far-fetched as it once was. The boxing world will now watch to see if Itauma's impressive performances continue to force the hand of the sport's power brokers and bring him face-to-face with the undisputed champion. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.  |
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