Moses It will hurt and Filip Hrgovic are set to return early next year, with promoter Frank Warren confident in delivering a particularly meaningful occasion for his world champion.

The two heavyweights collided in August, when Itauma built a sizable lead by scoring a second-round knockdown and, more generally, managing to exploit his advantage in speed.

Things then took a turn for the worse when, after unsuccessfully pursuing a grandstand finish, the 21-year-old was reduced to utter exhaustion and suffered a ninth-round stoppage defeat.

As a result, Hrgovic became his country’s first heavyweight champion by claiming the vacant IBF title, while Itauma failed in his attempt to become the division’s youngest major title-holder since Mike Tyson.

However, Warren has reassured media members that Itauma will return to the ring early next yearfacing a familiar opponent before embarking on another title charge.

“It will be January, if not before. But January is looking like the date. We’re looking at a couple of [potential opponents] at the moment, and I’m quite confident that everybody will be happy with what we’re going to do.

“I would like him to be in with a [recognisable] name, to start with. I want to get the start of the new year done for him, so he can focus on doing what he wants to do, [which] is to win a world title.”

As for Hrgovic, the Queensberry boss is looking to stage a homecoming for the Croatian, who must defend his title against mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez.

“We’re working hard to do that in Croatia [and] give him his dream. He deserves it. I’m sure the whole nation would turn out for their hero.

“We’re in the middle of [speaking with the Croatian government] at the moment. I’m quietly confident [it will happen]. We like to get things done and [then] announce them.”

Hrgovic has not fought on home soil since 2018, when he unanimously outpointed the ultra-durable Kevin Johnson over eight rounds.

Earlier that year, he scored a third-round finish over Amir Mansour at Arena Zagreb, which has a capacity of around 15,000 and could be an option to host the 34-year-old’s next outing.

The Croatian capital – where Hrgovic is actually from – is also home to the Maksimir football stadium, which boasts a superior capacity of around 25,000.

At either venue, though, Hrgovic-Sanchez is likely to be the biggest boxing event that Croatia has ever hosted, while the last world title fight to take place there was in April 2024, when Ivana Habazin defended her WBC strap against Kinga Magyar.

Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela believes Floyd Schofield’s camp is looking for a way around him, with the new WBA lightweight champion’s father calling for an Abdullah Mason unification in Texas early next year.

“Here we go .. they’re running the other way,” Valenzuela posted on X in response to the Mason callout.

Rayo has been seeking a shot at Schofield, but he may be out of luck if he expects the WBA to force the fight. His public request for the organization to intervene is not the same as an order requiring Schofield to face him.

Schofield Sr. offered Mason a January or February date during an interview with BandsNBoxing.

“If you want a fight, y’all can run it next,” he said. “Send the contract. Tell your bosses to send the contract to Golden Boy. Let’s make it happen then.”

He proposed San Antonio or Austin, Texas, adding: “Y’all already know it’s two belts on the line.”

That second belt gives Mason something Rayo cannot offer. Mason has also shown enough vulnerability to make him a target for Schofield’s camp. They may see a chance to collect the WBO title against a talented young champion whose defensive flaws offer openings.

Rayo falls into the “who needs him?” club: a former champion capable of spoiling plans without bringing another lightweight belt. Beating him would satisfy a challenger. Beating Mason would make Schofield a unified champion.

Schofield had enough trouble getting past Lucas Bahdi in his last fight to make another difficult assignment worth considering carefully. He won, but the performance hardly suggested he could take an opponent like Valenzuela lightly.

Rayo’s accusation puts that choice in public view. Whether it gets him any closer to a title shot depends on the WBA. If the organization approves a Mason unification, calling Schofield out may be all Valenzuela can do while the two champions pursue each other.

Rico Verhoeven has accepted an offer to fight Deontay Wilder on December 11, potentially adding another heavyweight bout to the Tyson Fury–Anthony Joshua undercard in Cardiff.

Wilder’s response is still outstanding, and the terms need to be negotiated. However, Verhoeven has made his willingness clear as he looks to continue boxing after his stoppage loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

“I can’t confirm just yet,” Verhoeven told talkSPORT. “What I can tell you is that they offered me the fight. They offered me Deontay Wilder. I said yes.”

“The details need to be talked about still. But for that, I’m waiting on a response. So, if there’s a yes from the other side, it’s going to happen.”

Verhoeven did not identify who made the offer. His comments introduce another possible opponent for Wilder, who had been linked with a fight against Jai Opetaia on the same card.

Wilder would give Verhoeven an opportunity to turn the praise he received against Usyk into a victory over an established heavyweight. Going deep into a fight with Usyk earned him attention, but beating Wilder would give him something firmer to build on.

There is an obvious danger in treating Wilder as a faded name to collect. His right hand still gives Verhoeven a reason to be careful. Yet Wilder’s reduced activity and hesitant offense in recent performances could allow the Dutchman time to settle into the fight.

Verhoeven also made clear that he intends to remain in boxing after considering several offers.

“I want to make a statement,” he said. “I want to show that … I am able to transition into the sport of boxing.”

Peter Fury remains in his corner, and Verhoeven is already looking beyond the proposed December appearance. He hopes Joshua beats Fury because he wants that fight himself.

“I hope that Anthony Joshua’s winning that fight because then I’m next for him.”

Beating Wilder would give that ambition a stronger foundation. First, Wilder needs to accept.

Putting Wilder against Verhoeven spares Jai Opetaia a bizarre heavyweight detour that threatened to derail his cruiserweight meeting with David Benavidez. That alone makes it slightly more tolerable than the initial rumor, but it remains a carnival booking.

Wilder has looked completely spent for years. At 40, his trigger is hesitant, his balance is compromised, and the reflex to pull the trigger on his right hand has eroded. Grinding past an aging Derek Chisora by a 12-round split decision did not erase the one-sided beatings he took against Joseph Parker, Fury, or Zhilei Zhang.

Verhoeven, 37, proved his toughness by surviving into the eleventh round against Oleksandr Usyk, but surviving is not contending. He is an elite kickboxer with a tiny boxing resume, still learning basic ring craftsmanship under boxing rules.

Sticking two aging names together with mismatched pedigrees belongs on the preliminary streaming portion of the broadcast, not sharing equal billing right beneath Fury against Joshua. It caters to novelty rather than sport.