Moses Itauma was given a direct path to the IBF heavyweight title, leaving Queensberry with one obvious question: Why risk it all against Filip Hrgovic?

In a statement sent to World Boxing News, the International Boxing Federation confirmed that it had received official notice on June 26 of Oleksandr Usyk’s resignation as IBF heavyweight champion.

Under championship rules, the governing body ordered top-ranked Frank Sanchez to negotiate with number three contender Moses Itauma for the vacant title. Both have until July 29 to reach an agreement.

Immediately, Hrgovic became an unnecessary obstacle to Itauma’s path to the world title.

When Itauma agreed to face Hrgovic on August 29 at The O2 in London, it was the perfect step for one of boxing’s brightest adolescent heavyweights.

This equation has completely changed.

IBF pays tribute to Usyk

In a statement provided to WBN, the IBF also confirmed Usyk’s reign before confirming the order.

“Over the course of his distinguished career, Usyk has established himself as one of the sport’s elite competitors, and the IBF is honored to recognize him as one of its world champions.

“His talent and commitment to excellence have made a lasting impact on boxing and will continue to inspire future generations of fighters.

“The IBF wishes Oleksandr Usyk continued success in his future endeavors.”

Only after paying tribute to the former champion did the IBF officially order Sanchez and Itauma to negotiate for the vacant world title.

This is an opportunity that many contenders have been chasing for years. Itauma immediately received this opportunity.

Hrgović’s fight no longer makes sense

When Queensberry announced the fight with Hrgovic, promoter Frank Warren described it as a “litmus test” that Itauma was ready for, while DAZN described it as a key fight with world title implications.

These consequences have now become a reality.

No one doubts Itauma’s willingness to fight anyone. He signed a contract with Hrgovic before the world title unexpectedly landed on the table. This is a completely different situation.

Hrgovic remains one of the most perilous heavyweight contenders despite suffering only one loss to Daniel Dubois. Since then, the Croatian has regained momentum with victories over Joe Joyce, David Adeleye and Dave Allen, which put him back among the top contenders in the division.

If an agreement can be reached, the obvious solution would be to replace Hrgović with Sanchez on August 29 in exchange for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

As compensation, Hrgovic could get the first shot at the recent champion if Itauma defeats Sanchez.

Whether this proves possible depends on whether all involved are willing to restructure the contracts already in place.

The heavyweight story still beckons

The change would also support Itauma in its historic mission, which has already missed one goal.

Itauma’s dream of breaking Mike Tyson’s record as the youngest heavyweight champion is gone, but another goal remains within reach.

If the 21-year-old wins the vacant IBF title before October, he will overtake Floyd Patterson to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion in history.

If he waits until the match against Hrgovic, this chance will be gone forever.

Queensberry matched Itauma with Hrgovic because it seemed like the quickest path to a chance at the championship.

The IBF has now given them an even faster fight.

Unless Hrgovic’s contract can no longer be salvaged, Queensberry should exhaust all options to hire Sanchez instead.

The IBF unexpectedly gave Itauma a world title shot and a chance to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion in history.

It would be arduous to justify giving up this opportunity in favor of unnecessary risk.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

As announced by the promoters, Moses Itauma will face Filip Hrgovic at The O2 in London on Saturday, August 29, in a heavyweight fight scheduled to be broadcast live on DAZN on pay-per-view.

Itauma, 21, is undefeated at 14-0, has 12 knockouts and holds the WBO Intercontinental, WBA International and Commonwealth titles. His last fight was in March, when he defeated American Jermaine Franklin in the fifth round at the Co-op Live gala in Manchester. This fight was his longest since 2023; several of his recent wins have come in the opening round, including stoppages of Dillian Whyte and Demsey McKean.

Hrgovic, 34, of Croatia, has a record of 20-1, 15 knockouts and a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics. He previously held first place in the IBF ranking. In May he stopped Dave Allen in the third round at Doncasterand his third victory in a row. The escape came after his defeat to Daniel Dubois in June 2024, the only defeat of his career, which saw him overtake David Adeleye and Joe Joyce.

Hrgovic is the most experienced opponent Itauma has faced as a professional. He was stopped once in 21 fights and faced several world-class heavyweights.

“This has all the hallmarks of a classic heavyweight showdown and we were determined to see it through to the end,” said promoter Frank Warren. “This fight is the litmus test that Moses is ready for and it is the one he wanted. Filip believes it will be too much, too soon for the adolescent star. On August 29 at The O2 we will find out what will be another amazing night for British boxing.”

Jaron “Boots” Ennis says he doesn’t care about comparisons to former undisputed champion Terence Crawford as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career against Xander Zayas this Saturday night in Brooklyn.

Ennis (35-0, 31 KO) will face Zayas for the WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles at the Barclays Center, looking to become the unified champion of the second weight division. As his profile continues to rise, many fans are comparing his skills and versatility to Crawford, who vacated the IBF welterweight title in 2023 before he started gaining weight.

“I’m not worried about it,” Ennis told Daily Mail Boxing. “I know I fight like me, no one fights like me and I don’t fight like anyone. My style is different from everyone else’s. I feel like I have a unique style and no one can do what I do.”

Ennis made it clear that he saw himself as an exceptional warrior, not another version of someone else.

“They’ve been doing this for a long time. They compare every player to someone else, but I just do what I do,” Ennis said. “None of these fighters fight like me. They can’t do what I do. I’m different.”

The undefeated Philadelphia native won a share of the welterweight championship before moving up to 154 pounds earlier this year. He announced his arrival to the division by knocking out Uisma Lima in the first round and now faces the toughest task of his junior middleweight career.

Zayas (23-0, 13 KO) enters the fight as the division’s youngest unified champion after adding the WBO title to his WBA belt. A victory over the Puerto Rican star would give Ennis two second-division world titles and strengthen his position among boxing’s elite fighters.

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.

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Last updated: 23/06/2026 at 11:40