Moses Itauma is set to take a step up in class in his next bout.

The young heavyweight impressively dealt with the usually durable Jermaine Franklin in emphatic fashion last Saturday to move to 14-0 (12 KOs). Despite being just 21 years old, Itauma announced himself on the world stage after becoming the first man to stop Franklin, doing so with a vicious left uppercut. Many, including his promoter Frank Warren, now believe Itauma is ready for anybody in the heavyweight division. Warren has even admitted that he’d be happy to make a bout with unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk following Itauma’s win.

A bout with the Ukrainian is at this stage unlikely, with Usyk himself playing down a contest with Itauma, stating: ‘I wouldn’t want to break him.’ However, there are plenty of options for one of the sport’s hottest prospects. Itauma currently sits in pole position with both the WBA and WBO, and will eventually be ordered to face their respective champions. The WBA ‘super’ title is presently held by Usyk, while the ‘regular’ belt belongs to Murat Gassiev. The WBO title will be contested on May 9 when champion Fabio Wardley fights two-time titleholder Daniel Dubois. Both Wardley and Dubois are with Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.

“Itauma will be back out in July and he's got to fight a top 10-ranked fighter, that's the risk,” Warren told BoxingScene. “The governing bodies might order a fight, I don't know. He's number one in the WBO and the WBA, so we'll see what happens there. There are many, many connotations for him. For me, he's the most exciting fighter in the world at the moment. Most exciting fighter in the world … And the maturity and the way he goes about his business, he's got such a good boxing brain. He's got such great hand speed, footwork, the whole thing. He's just a phenomenal fighter.

“I want to see the fight [between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois] first; get the fight out of the way. He won't be fighting the winner of that in July because there won't be enough time, so we'll see.”

The promoter of WBA ‘regular’ titleholder Gassiev, Al Siesta, told BoxingScene on Saturday that they would be more than happy for their man to face Itauma next.