Oleksandr Usyk’s most recent performance has left fans wondering if he could be there for the taking, and now former Usyk opponent Tony Bellew has shared his thoughts on whether Moses Itauma should pursue a fight with the Ukrainian.

Usyk suffered a close shave when he was shockingly pushed to the limit by Rico Verhoeven back in Maydespite the challenger having just one prior boxing fight to his name before providing Usyk his ‘toughest fight’ to date.

Since then, 39-year-old Usyk has opted to vacate all three of his heavyweight world titles, as he begins to wind his career down, with a clash against Deontay Wilder being suggested as his farewell fight.

If Usyk wishes to leave his mark on the next generation, he could accept a showdown with Itauma, who is being tipped to be both his successor and a long-reigning heavyweight ruler.

Speaking on ‘Fight Your Corner, in partnership with Midnite’Bellew declared that Itauma, who will face Filip Hrgovic in Augustis not ready for a clash against the tactical mastermind due to the fact that he has never boxed beyond six rounds.

“Moses wouldn’t go near him at the minute. I think that it would be absolutely insane to throw Moses Itauma into Usyk after not going past six [rounds] yet.

“Would you throw a fighter like that in with someone like him [Usyk]? His game plan would be, ‘I have only got to see past six rounds with you, kid. I am going to take you to places that you have never been’.”

Bellew then went on to pump the brakes on the Itauma hype train, reminding everyone that the 21-year-old is yet to beat an elite heavyweight in his 14-fight career.

“[His] best win is Jermaine Franklin. Jermaine Franklin is known for losing.”

“That [building fighters up] is one thing that Frank [Warren] does well, nobody can knock that. He built a fighter really well, he generates the hype train to a point where there is no going back and that is where Moses is at now.”

Itauma could score a career best win when tasked with Hrgovic on Saturday, August 29, with victory over the Croatian expected to tee up either a WBA or IBF world title challenge.

“Yeah, he was called the greatest, but he’s not quite the greatest on this list,” Atlas said on his channel of Ali. “He’s damn close. But he was great. He was special. He was a pioneer. He was part of history. He did as much outside the game as he did inside the ring.”

Atlas credited Ali’s unmatched speed, his return from a three-and-a-half-year exile and his ability to regain the heavyweight championship after losing much of his athletic prime. He described the first half of Ali’s career as a showcase of extraordinary skill and the second as a testament to his determination.

For Atlas, however, Louis’ resume ultimately carried greater weight.

He called Louis the greatest finisher in heavyweight history, praising his balance, precision and ability to close the show whenever an opponent was hurt. Atlas also pointed to the historical importance of Louis’ first-round destruction of Schmeling on June 22, 1938, months before the outbreak of World War II.

“This man don’t only have to fight a guy who already beat him, he’s got to defend the world,” Atlas said. “The whole world was weighing on the shoulders of Joe Louis. He annihilated Max Schmeling.”

Atlas argued that no heavyweight has ever entered a fight under greater pressure than Louis, with the bout taking on enormous political significance as Nazi Germany promoted Schmeling as a symbol of its claimed racial superiority. Louis answered with one of the most decisive victories in boxing history, stopping Schmeling in just 2:04 of the opening round.

Atlas’ top five heavyweights are Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson, Rocky Marciano and George Foreman. He also left an open spot on his list for Oleksandr Usyk, saying the Ukrainian has already earned a place among the all-time greats but should complete his career before being ranked.

A stamp approval from boxing’s only eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao is not to be taken lightly.

The Filipino fighting sensation remains one of the sport’s most respected voices, and although he fought for a world title last year and plans to continue to star in main events for the foreseeable, he also has an eye on the sport as a veteran.

In a recent interview with Vibe, Pacquiao was asked which active fighters he enjoys watching most, and Nayoa Inoue was at the top of his list.

“I love to watch Inoue. Yeah, Inoue, the Japanese guy.”

“He’s fast, and he has his footwork, but I told him before when he wasn’t a champion. He asked me about what’s better to train, and I told him footwork.”

“When you have footwork, you can control your opponent. You can properly throw your combination punches without losing balance.”

In the eyes of many, Inoue has established himself as boxing’s pound-for-pound best fighter, becoming an undisputed champion in two weight divisions while earning a reputation as one of the sport’s most devastating finishers.

In May, the Japanese superstar successfully defended his four super-bantamweight belts with a unanimous decision victory over the previously unbeaten Junto Nakatani in front of a sell-out crowd of around 55,000 at the Tokyo Dome.

He is now on a collision course with Jesse Rodriguezhis last planned fight at this weight before he moves up one final time before retirement.

With both Pacquiao and Inoue renowned for their explosive combinations, aggressive mentality and thrilling fighting styles, it is perhaps no surprise that the Hall of Famer sees elements of greatness in ‘The Monster’ – even if he still believes no one truly fights quite like he did.