Moses Itauma will look to win a world heavyweight title “as soon as possible,” his trainer Ben Davison says.
The 21-year-old has moved quickly as a precocious prospect, recently stopping former world-title challenger Dillian Whyte in one round and then ruthlessly dispatching Jermaine Franklin inside five. For Itauma’s training team, that progress is enough to justify pushing him to the highest level of the division.
“I think the goal now is to get him a world champion as soon as possible. I think that’s the goal that we’re looking at,” Davison told Sky Sports. “I can’t say too much because it’s Queensberry Promotions’ job, Frank Warren’s job, George Warren, but I think that’s the goal.”
Itauma wants the silverware quickly. “He wants to be a world champion before he’s 22,” Davison added. He said Itauma is in a positive position with a number of the sanctioning bodies, so opportunities could open if someone vacates or takes another fight.
Itauma is still early in his professional career — he has had 14 pro fights and stopped 12 of his opponents. Davison outlined the balancing act in matchmaking: “It’s just risk versus reward with Moses. Experience will come along the way. We’ve tried with opponents to get rounds and I think we’re at the point now where we’ve seen enough. I’ve seen enough in the gym, I’ve seen enough in the fights where if these guys aren’t capable of doing the rounds, it is what it is.”
Davison said he would not hesitate to put Itauma in with Agit Kabayel for a WBC title, insisting, “He’s at that level now where it’s risk versus reward, so if there’s a world title on the line I think we’re all in.”
A potential complication is Itauma being named mandatory challenger for the WBO heavyweight title, which is held by his gymmate Fabio Wardley. Wardley is set to fight Daniel Dubois on May 9. Davison does not expect that to force a clash between the stablemates if Wardley wins.
“We have to be realistic. If Fabio wins, [unified champion Oleksandr] Usyk’s come out and said he would fight Fabio. If the WBO called a mandatory the reality is Fabio would probably vacate that belt to get the Usyk fight,” Davison said. “Equally a unification should override even a mandatory defence. So I can’t see that situation being an issue to be honest.”