While some have expressed a desire to see Oleksandr Usyk fight Moses Itauma next, most feel it would be a step too far and a step too soon for the unbeaten British heavyweight.
They point to the fact Itauma has had just 13 fights as a pro as a reason to be more measured in his approach, and they also point to the fact that Usyk, the world heavyweight champion, is almost 39 years of age and will soon either show signs of regression or, better yet, exit the sport on his own terms.
Whichever of those two outcomes arrives first, Itauma, should he stay patient, will be well placed to take advantage. If, for instance, Usyk deteriorates but remains active, Itauma, in a year’s time, could be the man to finally usher him into retirement. If, on the other hand, Usyk bucks the trend and gets out in his prime, all that will happen then is that his titles will become vacant and Itauma, highly ranked with more than one sanctioning body, will have the opportunity to collect at least one of them.
For now, Usyk, 24-0 (15 KOs), is looking as good as he has ever looked. He has, having previously conquered the cruiserweights, adjusted to heavyweight with the same smoothness he displays whenever he fights and his legacy, as both a cruiserweight and heavyweight, is already secured. Anything from this point on, in fact, should be considered a bonus; the proverbial cherry on the cake.
Moreover, Usyk, as intelligent as they come inside a boxing ring, knows the dangers of outstaying one’s welcome and meddling unnecessarily with one’s legacy. “I’ll fight until I’m 41,” the Ukrainian told his team's in-house Ready to Fight platform. “Then I’ll build a sports academy and train others.”
In the meantime, Usyk, who turns 39 in January, must plan his final two or three fights. His next one, which is currently being negotiated, will take place next year, but won’t feature Moses Itauma, the heavyweight prospect on the tip of everybody’s tongue. Indeed, Itauma, still only 20, may not even feature in Usyk’s plans at all.
“No, I won’t fight Itauma [in the next fight],” said Usyk. “He’s young – always teasing me – and he said himself that he doesn’t hit grandpas.
“I can’t say who exactly [will be next] because negotiations are ongoing. I’d be lying if I gave you a name.”
Pay Usyk enough money, of course, and there’s every possibility his stance regarding Itauma may change. All it would take is one nudge, word, or handshake from Turki Alalshikh, the primary advocate of that fight, and suddenly there it is: Usyk vs. Itauma in 2026.
However, there is a sense from both parties that the best possible scenario is one that sees the pair take different paths and refuse to allow their careers to overlap. In the case of Usyk, if he can stick to his own generation and avoid indulging the next, it is more than likely he retires undefeated when he hits the age of 41. Meanwhile, in the case of Itauma, though he has time on his side to recover from a loss, the thought of losing his first fight on account of impatience would be more frustrating than losing to a man objectively better than him. After all, with so much time on his side, why would he take the risk?
“We’re not going to be shouting out the window for fights that will be there for us in 12 months,” said Francis Warren, Itauma’s manager, before Itauma stopped Dillian Whyte in August. “He’s in a great position. One of the main reasons for that is getting him on the title trail in only his ninth fight. That [a WBO intercontinental heavyweight belt] got him in the WBO rankings and now things are starting to open up and he’s well positioned. He’s [ranked] three with the WBA, nine with the WBC, and he’s four or five with the IBF. He’s in a position to take an opportunity if the money is right and if the timing is right. But he’s also in a great position to continue working his way up the rankings and then take his pick when the belts become fragmented if and when Usyk retires. That could potentially be where we end up in 12 months.”
Chances are, when it comes to the present and future of the world’s heavyweight division, common sense will for once prevail. For the long-term health of the sport, it just might be needed.
