Itauma Has a Promising Future in Boxing, Says Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk says Moses Itauma is the future of boxing, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Usyk also mentioned Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury as potential contenders for his heavyweight titles.

The Ukrainian has defeated the trio of British boxers, most recently knocking out Daniel Dubois to retain all his heavyweight titles and claim the IBF crown.

In his last six fights, Usyk has beaten each of the three stars twice, keeping his undefeated record at 24 wins.

The 39‑year‑old has announced that he has three bouts left before he retires. He will face kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on Saturday, aiming to finish his boxing career undefeated.

Usyk expressed confidence that Itauma will carry on his legacy.

When asked by talkSPORT about who could become the next undisputed heavyweight champion, Usyk said, “Moses Itauma, I think is a great fighter. Young. 20 years old. I think Itauma has a big future.”

So far, the young boxer is 14‑0, having knocked out Jermaine Franklin in March 2026 at the Co‑op Live Arena in Manchester. The Kent‑based fighter, born in Slovakia, currently holds the WBA International and WBO Inter‑Continental heavyweight titles.

Tyson Fury sparred with Itauma in 2024, when the teenager was still in the early stages of his career, and posted on Instagram, “@m.itauma (Moses Itauma) is the future of the heavyweight division.”

At the time, the youngster was determined to break Mike Tyson’s record for the youngest heavyweight champion. He told The Mirror, “I want to become the youngest heavyweight world champion since Mike Tyson who was 20 years old.”

“I need to take small steps but also ensure that I step up the tasks very quickly. I want to do short steps but not too much with them. Youngest ever world heavyweight champion is in my mid‑term goals but it is something that I can believe I can achieve before 2025.”

“It is not what I am thinking about right of this second, but I want to let that come once I have grown as a professional. I have gone from not having any press at all to this and it is crazy.”

“I am in the right place because Frank Warren has all the other big heavyweights at the moment so I think I have a bright future.”