Moses Itauma was originally scheduled to return on July 25 in London, but the announcement of a “warm-up” fight between Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga on the same day in Saudi Arabia forced a change.

Itauma was last eliminated in March when he became the first to defeat American heavyweight Jermaine Franklin. It was the 14th win and 12th knockout of the teenage Briton’s campaign so far as his team continues to raise the bar in preparation for the inevitable world title fight.

The fight with Franklin was postponed from January due to Itauma’s biceps injury during training camp. If everything went according to plan, he could be guaranteed three fights in 2026. That is still a possibility, but he has now been forced to move the promotion from July to August due to a date clash with former unification champion Joshua, who is fighting this summer with the intention of announcing a then long-awaited fight with Tyson Fury at the end of the year.

I keep talking performance by Ariel Helwanipromoter Frank Warren has confirmed that his teenage protégé will now move to August 8, with the performance still taking place at London’s O2 Arena. Itauma will be the main star, talks are ongoing with potential opponents, but nothing has been signed yet.

Itauma is number one in the WBA and WBO rankings, five in the IBF and two in the WBC. He has been called up by regular WBA champion Murat Gassiev, which could be a significant fight if super champion Oleksandr Usyk vacates the belt soon.

The 21-year-old could soon be named as mandatory challenger for the WBO belt, according to president Gustavo Olivieri, currently held by Fabio Wardley. Wardley will defend his title against Daniel Dubois this weekend in Manchester. If he stays, it is unlikely his next defense will be against Itauma as they both have the same coach, Ben Davison. If Dubois wins and becomes a two-time champion, this fight will sell itself.

In addition to the title, Itauma’s team will also be joyful with a top player who will be able to present a different style or level of threat as he continues to develop.

James Hagler Jr. felt compelled to reveal where he stood after Nick Khan mentioned Marvin Hagler during a Senate discussion on proposed changes to the Ali bill.

Using his grandfather’s large name in sports as leverage in an argument was seen by many as a blow, and Hagler Jr. he made it clear that he wanted no part of it.

“I didn’t like that they tried to apply my grandfather’s name to represent something that would take away the rights of the players” – Hagler Jr. he told World Boxing News exclusively.

The comments follow Hagler Jr.’s previous public outcry. regarding the apply of Marvin Hagler’s name in the Ali Act debate, in which he rejected any attempts to link his family legacy to changes that he believed would limit the freedom of fighters.

Hagler Jr. rejects Zuffa’s argument

When asked what Marvin Hagler would think about the proposed changes, Hagler Jr. he pointed to the way his grandfather managed his own career.

“My grandfather wouldn’t have liked it because he was a man who believed that players should have a say in their careers,” Hagler Jr. said.

“As we all know, he was not tied to a contract with a promoter. He worked with them from fight to fight. He was not tied to one particular promoter.”

This point is at the heart of opposition from both Hagler Jr. and Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, who also opposed proposed changes to the law bearing his grandfather’s name.

Ali Walsh helped lead the opposition through the Ali Act Preservation Alliance, arguing that fighters could lose influence if promoters gained too much control over rankings, titles and opportunities.

Warning about the rights of fighters

Hagler Jr. expressed hope that the fact that boxers can choose their own fight route will not be enough to push the proposed changes through the Senate.

“I hope that doesn’t happen because we should have the right to leave if we don’t come to an agreement with the promoter,” Hagler Jr. said.

“And if so, Ali’s name should not be associated with it.”

His starkest warning concerned what he believed would happen once the players signed the novel structure.

“I believe they will be imprisoned, like gladiators to kings in the age of gladiators, and will have no say in their career,” he said.

“Basically like a promoter’s slave.”

Despite opposition from Hagler Jr. and Ali Walsh, promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who also made a statement during the hearing, believes the law is already written in stone.

De La Hoya said the hearing was merely a public sham and that key decisions had already been made behind closed doors between people who wanted the law introduced and those who approved of it.

Promoter Golden Boy argued that the sport was currently being pushed towards a structure that could change the way fighters move, negotiate and chase titles.

Zuffa is already causing problems

Hagler Jr. may continue to lobby against it, but Zuffa Boxing will remain and be a direct competitor to the regular sanctioning body system.

The waters were already muddied by David Benavidez’s comments in Las Vegas following his victory over Gilberto Ramirez.

Benavidez stated that Zuffa was closed to negotiations with other promoters and that if any cruiserweight fighter who had recently signed with Zuffa, like Jai Opetaia, wanted a title shot, they had to work away from Zuffa’s mainframe.

His warning to Zuffa fighters showed how quickly the problem can become real in the ring.

This is the fear behind Hagler Jr.’s position. Once fighters become confined to one structure, the ability to leave, negotiate elsewhere, or seek a better opportunity may become more hard.

For a family name built on independence, stamina and control, this is the limit that Hagler Jr. I don’t want to exceed.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a seasoned boxing reporter with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives and reported in-ring performances. Read the full biography.

Eddie Hearn believes he has the perfect ace up his sleeve, especially after Naoya Inoue went 12 rounds in a “competitive fight” against Junto Nakatani.

Their super bantamweight clash on Saturday certainly had its competitive moments, but “The Monster” ultimately showcased his elite capabilities with a unanimous decision win.

Inoue thus successfully defended his undisputed crown in a sold-out Tokyo Dome, where his triumph over Nakatani could ultimately be considered the best victory of his career.

It wasn’t about the optics of his performance, but the tremendous focus and discipline he showed that made it such an impressive display.

Also considering that Nakatani was a top 10 fighter on a pound-for-pound basis, “The Monster” was under significant pressure to maintain his position as the poster boy for Japanese boxing.

While the 33-year-old has previously expressed interest in moving up to featherweight in his bid to become a five-division world champion, he is currently expected to remain at 122 pounds for the foreseeable future.

This comes as relevant boxing stakeholders are considering an undisputed showdown with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, who is looking to become a three-division world champion. June 13 against WBA bantamweight champion Antonio Vargas.

Then the unified 115-pound king may want to move up another weight class and challenge Inoue, who scored a points victory over David Picasso last December in Saudi Arabia.

Based on that performance and clips of the Nakatani fight, Matchroom promoter Hearn told Boxing News he fully expects “Bam” to dethrone “The Monster.”

“I watched Inoue closely in Arabia and have never been more convinced that Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez beats him.

“For a long time I thought this might be a step too far for Jesse. But now Jesse is at bantamweight and he feels substantial and mighty, I just think he’s too good for [Inoue].

“He’s 26. And what’s Inoue like – 33 now? I don’t see ‘Bam’ losing to Inoue. I thought Inoue was going to get through Nakatani – and do a good job with him – and by all accounts it was a very close fight.”

Following the star’s pound-for-pound victory over Nakatani, it was reported that Turki Alalshikh wants Inoue and Rodriguez to headline the January show in Japan.