Moses It will hurt has revealed Frank Warren’s plan to secure him an undisputed clash with one of the division’s most formidable punchers.

It is no secret that Itauma is being steered towards mainstream stardom, clearly representing a vital component of Warren’s Queensberry Promotions stable.

This does not mean, however, that the prodigious talent will forever be matched against inferior opposition, so as to protect his unbeaten record and marketability.

Rather, it would seem that the 21-year-old is already being let off the leash, hence why he is facing Filip Hrgovic at London’s O2 Arena on August 29.

Having only lost to reigning WBO world champion Daniel Duboisthere is no denying that Hrgovic is Itauma’s toughest opponent thus far.

Even in the Dubois defeat, the Croatian had arguably built a slight lead before getting stopped on cuts in round eight of their June 2024 encounter.

Itauma, meanwhile, is yet to compete at such a level, with his best win coming via a fifth-round finish over fringe contender Jermaine Franklin in March.

But still, many believe the hard-hitting southpaw will go on to become a long-reigning champion, with Dubois potentially representing his closest rival.

Speaking with IFL TVItauma admitted that he expects the Dubois fight to materialise soon enough, especially if the pieces all fall into place for promoter Warren.

“I think the Dubois fight will definitely happen at some point this year, next year or the year after.

“Only because it’s two Brits. He doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down; I seem like I’m speeding up.

“If that [fight] is going to happen, it’ll be after I’ve got a belt [and] he’s got a belt, or I might have two and he might have two.

“I think [Warren’s] going to try and get me and Dubois to collect all the belts and then unify [against] each other. If that’s the plan, I’m happy to roll with that.”

While Itauma has his hands full against Hrgovic, Dubois is expected to rematch Fabio Wardley after scoring an 11th-round stoppage over his rival in May.

A heavyweight veteran has taken issue with the timing of Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish his titles, given that he could have fought for a vacant strap earlier this year.

While maintaining his status as the lineal heavyweight champion, Usyk chose to vacate his WBC, IBF and WBA belts towards the end of last month.

In doing so, the Ukrainian enabled Agit Kabayel and Murat Gassiev to respectively be upgraded to full WBC and WBA champions, while his old IBF title remains up for grabs.

But while allowing others to progress in the sport, Usyk has afforded himself just one more fight before calling time on a phenomenal career.

This news follows his 11th-round stoppage over Rico Verhoeven in May, when the two-division undisputed champion encountered a tougher-than-expected night’s work.

And with Usyk subsequently announcing that he has one fight left, many felt this decision was inspired by his difficulty in dispatching a former kickboxing champion.

Either way, the 39-year-old’s deliberation meant that Derek Chisora was unable to fight for a vacant IBF title when he faced Deontay Wilder in April.

According to Usyk, Chisora gave him the toughest fight of his career when they went the distance in 2020. ‘Del Boy’ ultimately lost via a hard-fought unanimous decision, with the judges’ scorecards reflecting a closely contested bout.

Speaking with Seconds Outthe 42-year-old explained that he had even attempted to pressure his former opponent into making a decision so he could have one last shot at a world title.

“Let’s not talk about that guy. Usyk p*ssed me off because I phoned his manager, I phoned him – even FaceTimed him – and he showed me his beautiful baby girl. He was at home with his family.

“I was like, ‘Bro, I’m fighting Deontay Wilder. Drop the IBF [title]. Do this for me as a friend’. [He said] ‘I’ll let you know’.

“F**king mug. He’s a c**t, that guy. We pressured him; we phoned him every day, and he didn’t play ball. Then, suddenly, he boxed a kickboxer [Verhoeven] and realised he’s not the same [fighter].

“That was selfish of him [to keep the belts].”

With Chisora losing a split decision to Wilderhe would have been unable to win the IBF title which, instead, is set to be contested by mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez in due course.

Derek Chisora anticipates a “hard fight” between Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovicbut believes one man has the ability to “dig deep” and emerge victorious.

The pair will square off at London’s O2 Arena on August 29, with Itauma headlining his third Queensberry card as he looks to join the world scene.

Already, the 21-year-old is ranked No.1 with the WBO and WBA, while the IBF have ordered a vacant title fight between him and seasoned contender Frank Sanchez.

Should he come through Hrgovic, then perhaps Itauma will land the Sanchez opportunity, with his team potentially negotiating a deal behind the scenes.

Until then, though, the heavyweight prodigy must prove himself against a consensus top 10 contender, taking a sizable step-up following his fifth-round finish over Jermaine Franklin in March.

Hrgovic, after all, is no slouch, having lost only to Daniel Dubois after being stopped on cuts in round eight of their June 2024 encounter.

Since then, the Croatian has leaked blood in each of his victories over Joe Joyce, David Adeleye and Dave Allen, wearing varying degrees of cuts around his eyes.

And it is partly for this reason, in fact, that heavyweight veteran Chisora has backed Itauma in an interview with Seconds Out.

“It’s going to be a hard fight, but Moses is going to dig deep and he’s going to win. We know how Hrgovic gets cut, and how he sometimes feels sorry for himself when he gets hit.

“But I believe Moses is going to come through that fight. He’s a young lion.”

Chisora went on to consider a potential fight between Itauma and Dubois, the current WBO champion, expecting these two to be leading the next generation of heavyweights.