Johnny Nelson believes Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic is a “great fight”, but one where the Queensberry Promotions golden boy must prove his world-class capabilities.

While having not yet crafted the resume of an elite champion, many believe that Itauma is destined to become the next long-reigning heavyweight king.

More than likely, the No.1 spot will become vacant once Oleksandr Usyk, the reigning lineal champion, sails into the sunset after his next outing.

In order for Itauma to reach a status of such significance, however, he must first come through his toughest assignment on paper.

This will arrive in the form of a clash with Hrgovic on August 29, with the Olympic bronze medallist attempting to halt the Itauma hype train at London’s O2 Arena.

The 34-year-old comes off a third-round finish over Dave Allen in May, but has previously claimed more meaningful wins against the likes of Zhilei Zhang – albeit via a contentious decision – and David Adeleye.

His only defeat, meanwhile, came against current WBO champion Daniel Dubois in June 2024, when Hrgovic was stopped while wearing a mask of cuts in round eight.

While speaking with talkSPORTthough, former long-reigning cruiserweight champion Nelson said the Croatian’s sporadic lack of focus could cost him against a sharpshooter like Itauma.

“I think it’s a great fight. If [Itauma’s] as good as we think he is, he should get the job done. But it’ll be a good learning fight for him.

“[Hrgovic’s] performances have been consistent. He’s a tough, consistent guy. At times, he loses interest mid-fight. You can’t fight like that against somebody like Itauma.

“That’s why he’s perfect for Moses. It’s a safe one because [Itauma’s] got loads of gears. It’s the safest big risk out there.”

Itauma’s most impressive victory thus far came in March, when he scored a fifth-round stoppage over the typically durable Jermaine Franklin.

Tony Bellew has admitted to feeling uncomfortable and furious, seemingly in equal measure, while watching 12 chaotic rounds between Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora earlier this year.

The two heavyweight veterans squared off in April, entering their respective 50th professional outings, with Chisora insisting that this would be his last dance.

Prior to their showdown, the Brit had claimed back-to-back points victories over Otto Wallin and Joe Joyce, perhaps indicating that he was enjoying something of a purple patch.

Given the beatdown he endured against Tyson Fury in 2022, however, it could be said with certainty that, even back then, Chisora was far removed from his prime.

But the same, of course, could be said of Wilder, who had suffered punishing defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Much like with Chisora, though, many suspect that the American’s third encounter with Fury – which resulted in a gruelling 11th-round stoppage defeat in 2021 – was what ultimately put him on a steep decline.

Yet the 40-year-old nonetheless scored two knockdowns and defeated Chisora by split decisionkeeping himself in the mix for another lucrative opportunity.

As for Chisora, former world champion Bellew has told BBC 5 Live Sport that witnessing his close friend in Manchester was a particularly low point of 2026.

“Without a shadow of doubt, the low point’s Wilder and Derek. I wasn’t comfortable. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like what I [saw].

“[Chisora’s] gonna kick off at me; he’s gonna go mad at me when he sees this, but I was furious on the night. That wasn’t Derek Chisora in that ring.”

While Wilder, too, is well past his best, it seems the former WBC champion is nonetheless closing in on a clash with Oleksandr Usyk.

“I love Keyshawn. I think he’s hard to beat. When he’s on point, no one can beat him,” Mora said to Fighthype. “Devin Haney has a better resume. Devin Haney, every time I think that he’s going to come up short, he surprises me. What he did with Brian Norman was incredible. I would have to edge out Haney because of that, because of the resume, because he keeps proving people wrong, because of that jab, because Davis is inconsistent. He can be red hot or he can be cold, but when he’s red hot, he’s pound for pound.”

While Mora offered his prediction, it’s unclear whether Haney and Keyshawn will ever share the ring.

The WBO has ordered Haney to defend his title against Keyshawn, but the bout still must be negotiated. A sanctioning body order does not guarantee a fight will happen, particularly when financial terms have yet to be discussed.

Bill Haney has spent the past week publicly pursuing bigger-money fights against Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson, suggesting those remain the preferred options if they can be made. If neither materializes, Keyshawn could become the fallback choice, but even then, there is no assurance an agreement will be reached.

Haney’s proposed fight against Rolly Romero serves as a recent reminder that negotiations can collapse even when a matchup appears close. If the economics don’t work for both camps, the Keyshawn fight could suffer the same fate.

Mora’s prediction remains just that, a prediction on a fight that may never move beyond the negotiating table.