It looks like unbeaten, rising, heavyweight KO sensation Moses Itauma of England will be coming to the United Sates for the first time to fight later this year.
The hype continues around rising, heavyweight British star Moses Itauma off his Saturday night massive 5th round TKO of veteran, American Jermaine Franklin. And now, there's a real chance he'll make his U.S. debut later this year.
That's according to insider Dan Rafael, who spoke with Itauma's promoter, Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions.
Warren said that the timeline will be to have the 21 year old Itauma, 14-0, 12 KOs, fight again in July in the U.K,
However, in the likelihood that fight goes well against whomever Itauma faces, Warren is eyeing a possible September fight in the United States.
“He’s something special isn’t he,” Warren said to Rafael. “It’s the way he does it and the way he goes about his business — the speed that he’s got, footwork, hand speed, coordination. He’s something else. He’s just a baby, 21 years of age, and we will be bringing him to America. I’m hopeful we’ll get him out there for a fight sometime in September and I’m looking to bring him out to meet with the media and to do that soon.”
Warren has reason to build up Itauma, who is the most impressive, young, heavyweight prospect in several years and has risen up the world rankings dramatically in his last 2-3 fights.
Saturday's booming KO of Franklin that electrified the Manchester Co-Op Live Arena. And, it is more noteworthy, because Franklin had gone the distance in his two other losses to former two-time unified heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua and longtime contender and former title challenger Dillian Whyte.
Itauma had also destroyed an aged, lesser, Whyte in the first round last August, as well.
Itauma has said previously that he wants to fight in the U.S., was already ranked No. 1 by the WBO before the Franklin fight.
And Gustavo Olivieri, president of the WBO, told Rafael he believes Itauma should be named the official mandatory challenger for the winner of their upcoming fight between titleholder Fabio Wardley and former IBF titlist Daniel Dubois.
Those two are scheduled to fight May 9th in a PPV main event at the same Co-Op Live in Manchester. Related- both of those fighters are also promoted by Warren.
However, a complication is that if Wardley wins, it seems unlikely he and Itauma would fight because they share trainer Ben Davison. But, a Dubois win to regain a portion of the heavyweight crown could easily mean a title shot for Itauma.
“In light of Moses Itauma’s current position as the No. 1 WBO world-rated contender, and having defeated world-rated contender Jermaine Franklin by knockout in defense of his WBO (regional title), he has further affirmed his standing within the division as a rising star,” Olivieri said to Rafael. “Accordingly, I will formally recommend to the championship committee that Mr. Itauma be designated as the mandatory challenger in the WBO heavyweight division.”
One other option, if not a WBO title fight, is Itauma could fight American heavyweight Jared "Real Big Baby" Anderson in the U.S. this Fall. Anderson, who was on a similar, unbeaten, "rise up the ranks" roll like Itauma, was brutally stopped by veteran contender Martin Bakole in Los Angeles in August, 2024.
Anderson is apparently going to return to the ring on the Wardley-Dubois undercard in May and a win would line him up for a bigger fight later this year.