Moses Itauma set to be named mandatory challenger for heavyweight belt

Moses Itauma is set to become the mandatory challenger for the WBO heavyweight title.

However, in doing so, Itauma has been put on a collision course with stablemate Fabio Wardley.

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The 21-year-old beat Jermaine Franklin via fifth round knockout in Manchester on Saturday having already dropped the American in the third round.

The Slovakia-born British star extended his record to 14-0 in the process, with 12 of his wins coming by knockout.

After the bout, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri posted on X that he’d ‘formally recommend’ Itauma for a shot at the organisation’s world heavyweight belt.

“In light of Moses Itauma’s current position as the #1 WBO world-rated contender, and having defeated world-rated contender Jermaine Franklin by knockout in defense of his WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight Championship, he has further affirmed his standing within the division as a rising star,” Olivieri wrote.

“Accordingly, I will formally recommend to the Championship Committee that Mr. Itauma be designated as the Mandatory Challenger in the WBO Heavyweight Division.”

Wardley, who shares trainer Ben Davison with Itauma, will defend that championship against Daniel Dubois later this year.

The winner of the May clash is, therefore, expected to defend the belt against Itauma, which, according to the youngster, could lead to a ‘sticky predicament’.

Ahead of Saturday’s win over Franklin, Itauma said:  “I think Fabio can [beat Dubois]. Fabio keeps surprising everyone. If you write him off he’ll end up smashing Dubois out.

“You don’t really know what to expect from Fabio but I’d probably say Fabio wins.

“He’s obviously in the same gym as me so that would be a sticky predicament. Everything can make sense, it all makes sense.”

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Wardley has previously spoken about the possibility of facing Itauma down the line.

Having been promoted to full WBO champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the title, the 31-year-old last year said: “Who knows how the future’s going to go?

“Right now me and Moses are on our own courses. We both need to grab our world titles first, before we’re able to have conversations about crossing swords ourselves.

“There’s enough out there for the pair of us to have a go at and just occupy ourselves before we need to start having a serious think about getting in the ring at the same time.”

For now, though, Itauma has his sights set on a bout with Usyk or Tyson Fury, who fights Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next month, but admits he expects to have to wait for his chance to fight either heavyweight star.

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“Why would Usyk fight me? Obviously he’s got other people on the agenda. Not only that he’s got a whole list of people that, I guess, are in front of me,” he said prior to Saturday’s victory.

“I don’t think Tyson would want to take [a fight]. I don’t know. For example, he’s got a big fight with Anthony Joshua, a fight can still gross massively.

“He knows there are a lot of other fights he probably would be able to make more money off and they wouldn’t be as much of a fight. It doesn’t really make sense for him.”