Moses Itauma has been accused of swerving a title shot, which can still be salvaged if he defeats Jermaine Franklin on March 28.
The 21-year-old will square off with Franklin, a durable operator who represents his toughest opponent thus far, at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena.
Up to this point, the heavyweight prodigy has shown considerable talent and potential against mostly limited opposition, with his last performance coming against a faded Dillian Whyte.
The pair engaged in a brief encounter last August, when Itauma orchestrated a blistering first-round finish, though it goes without saying that tougher tests await the unbeaten southpaw.
One such assignment should arrive against Franklin, who lost a unanimous decision to Anthony Joshua in 2023 but has since established himself as a solid fringe contender.
If nothing else, the American is likely to take Itauma past round two for the first time in nine fights, giving him the necessary experience to resume his swift development.
After that, Itauma could revisit a clash with WBA ‘Regular’ champion Murat Gassiev, who has been repeatedly mentioned as a potential opponent for the prolific knockout artist.
The former world cruiserweight champion claimed his secondary heavyweight title in December, scoring a sixth-round knockout over 44-year-old veteran Kubrat Pulev.
Regarding a possible showdown with Itauma, meanwhile, Gassiev’s coach Anton Kadushin has told IBA that they remain open to such discussions but feel the Brit’s team have backed off following his most recent KO.
“After the fight with Pulev, Moses Itauma went quiet. All the talk of a fight with Murat stopped.
“But if this fight becomes inevitable – if we win the next one; if Moses Itauma comes out and says he’s ready to face Gassiev at the end of the year, and if the terms are right for us – then we’re open to it. Gassiev is not avoiding anyone.”
By winning the WBA ‘Regular’ belt, Itauma would place himself in a strong position to be upgraded to full champion if Oleksandr Usyk either vacates, or is stripped of, his world title. The fight had been ordered by the WBA, but if Itauma is taken another route he remains well placed with the other sanctioning bodies.