Fresh off a one-round demolition of Dillian Whyte, Moses Itauma has his team thinking big. Manager Francis Warren called the teenager “a consummate professional” and said “the world’s his oyster,” while hinting that an Olympic medallist - Filip Hrgovic - has emerged as the preferred next step. “What’s next? Watch this space,” Warren said in Altrincham.
Warren confirmed the WBO number one contender will box again in December, this time before a British crowd after debuting in Riyadh. The menu is broad, from undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk to WBO mandatory challenger Joseph Parker, and Team Itauma insists any major opportunity will be seized.
Watch Hrgovic vs. Adeleye fight highlights: Watch
Hrgovic is the name that sticks. Warren likes the fight but wants to see how Hrgovic’s “pretty nasty” cut from the David Adeleye bout heals. The Croatian has been a frequent visitor to the UK scene - matched with Daniel Dubois, Joe Joyce, and Adeleye in his last three, going 1–2, and sits as the WBO’s number two, a sturdy test for the rising Brit.
Given the depth of Britain’s heavyweight division, an Itauma–Hrgovic clash fits the domestic narrative and the development plan. “If it’s a fight that’s not seen as career-defining, well that’s on us to decide on what step we take next,” Warren said.
Image Credit: Queensberry Promotions