The Rumor Mill – Itauma vs Hrgovic in the summer?
The heavyweight division has had a shakeup of sorts particularly in the United Kingdom as there has been a young fighter quickly going up the rankings. Moses Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs) has been a pro for three years, and is already ranked at number 1 for the WBO and the WBA, number 2 in the WBC, and number 5 in the IBF. He is on a ten fight knockout streak with the latest coming on March 28th against Jermaine Franklin, and he stopped former world title contender Dillian Whyte in one round.
At just 21 years old, Itauma has already been compared to a hall of famer that was able to be a world champion at a young age in Mike Tyson who won it when he was 20. Itauma’s popularity in the UK is growing at a fast rate and if he can get closer to a world title opportunity and win it, he could be their next superstar. While it may be a mystery as to if Itauma will get that chance to fight for a world title, there is a possibility that he may be lined up for a fight to decide if he is ready.
Coming off of his win over Franklin in March, there is buzz that Itauma could get back in the ring as soon as this summer. The opponent that is being brought up is Filip Hrgovic, a contender that is ranked in all four major sanctioning bodies but currently at number 2 in the WBO. Hrgovic (19-1, 14 KOs) does have a fight scheduled against David Allen on May 16th. If he has that bout against Allen and wins, he could be right back in the ring to face Itauma by late July or in August. A fight between Itauma and Hrgovic could be a final eliminator for the WBO as their current champion Fabio Wardley is defending the title against Daniel Dubois on May 9th.
The division could have some clarity at the top by the late part of this year if we do have Itauma versus Hrgovic while Wardley faces Dubois, and the winners could face each other later down the line. It would be a series of fights under Queensberry Promotions that could be big events as Wardley-Dubois is nearly sold out and Itauma has been gaining interest in the UK. However, it remains to be seen if this plan will come to fruition.
