Moses Itauma set for return on historic night but two opponents ruled out
The British boxing heavyweight star is set for an immediate return to competitive action as he looks to go one step closer to a shot at the world title
Moses Itauma is gearing up for a quick return to the ring as the rising British heavyweight sensation is set to feature on the undercard of the Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois on July 19.
The Chatham brawler improved his perfect record to 12-0 on Saturday night, following a savage defeat of ex-NFL linebacker Mike Balogun in Glasgow to earn himself a No.1 ranking with the WBO. Just days after another impressive victory, the Brit is set for a quick turnaround.
It's been announced that the young fighter will enter the ring again in less than two months at Wembley Stadium. His next opponent is set to be a big step up in competition, but Martin Bakole - who had been linked with a fight against the 20-year-old - has been ruled out by boxing promoter Frank Warren.
"I don't know why everybody keeps going on about Bakole," Warren said to The Ring on Monday. "He looked terrible in his last fight and he got knocked spark out in the one before that. I don't really know what he is. I look at his list of opponents and he hasn't really fought anyone so I don't know where that talk of him fighting Moses has come from."
"And why would I want to give them the money they are asking for? Plus the fact I got a text off his trainer Billy Nelson saying he won't be ready to fight until December.We are not in the Bakole business. We care about Moses Itauma." Speculation has also been swirling about a possible match-up with Joseph Parker in recent weeks.
Promoter Frank Warren has confirmed that a fight between the pair won't take place due to the New Zealander's WBO mandatory status, stating: "Parker is the WBO interim champion right now so that won't happen on July 19," and "We couldn't afford to do it on the undercard at Wembley."
The famous boxing promoter added: "We could have rolled the dice and got Moses a world title shot, but his career is a marathon not a sprint. I want him to learn his trade, so does Francis and the team, but he is a very capable kid. He's really not far off the world title and when he gets there we want him to stay there. We will look at options for his next opponent in the next week or so."
The boxing superstar has already caught the eye of many within the boxing community, having fought impressively on two Tyson Fury undercards in Saudi Arabia. The youngster, who has received accolades from the 'Gypsy King' himself, boasts a unblemished record with victories over formidable opponents such as Demsey McKean, Mariusz Wach and Ilja Mezencev, leading many to predict his rise to world championship glory imminently.
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