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.

Wardley arrives via a completely different route. He had to recover from fights, take punishment and constantly finish overdue, building his position in tough fights against opponents like Justis Huni and Joseph Parker. This pattern, losing rounds and still closing out the fight, has become part of his victories and is central to his perception of this fight.

Fabio openly admitted that Dubois beat him in sparring years ago, long before he turned professional.

“I have no qualms about saying he hit me,” Wardley said of the sessions from seven or eight years ago. “But I would have begged him not to take anything from that spar and bring it to now, because this was a guy who had just laced up his gloves.”

By this stage Dubois was already a decorated amateur and considered a future force, while Wardley was learning on the job. The gap has since narrowed, with Wardley pointing to how each man reacts when the fight changes as the real difference between them.

“I don’t think it’s fair. If things don’t go his way, he dives in, and if they don’t go my way, I stay the course,” Wardley said.

This belief ties into another point Wardley noticed during the preparation: the instability around Dubois outside the ring. Coaching and camp changes followed key moments in his career, and Wardley sees it as a sign of where the responsibility falls when something goes wrong.

“It seems iffy. Whenever there’s a fight or something goes wrong, you immediately blame the coach and look for another one. Maybe that will be you,” Wardley said.

Dubois’ recent loss to Oleksandr Usyk would normally force the heavyweight to rebuild his fights, but instead he goes straight back into title contention. This decision has as much to do with position and market value as it does with results, and gives this fight a different feel than a standard defense.

Wardley is trying to prove that he belongs at the top and that the tour has prepared him for it. Dubois is trying to show that the defeat hasn’t changed where he stands. One is to strengthen what he has built. The second one is given a chance to skip a step.

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.