Boxing is in an interesting place at the moment. Following the spectacle that was Terence Crawford thoroughly defeating Canelo Alvarez, there really aren’t too many show-stopping main events coming up for the rest of 2025. In fact, an exhibition bout between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis is set to be the biggest talking point in the sport over the next couple of months.
There will surely be eyes on Joseph Parker vs. Fabio Wardley at the end of October. While they may not be names that will sell out huge arenas, they are two of the best heavyweight boxers at the moment. Both of them want their shot at Oleksandr Usyk, who remains without an upcoming opponent after passing on fighting Parker, who was the WBO mandatory challenger.
No one is quite sure what Usyk’s next move will be. It seems like he may be waiting for a trilogy fight against Tyson Fury, who he beat twice in 2024 and is currently “retired“. Whether Usyk fights Fury soon or not, there will be more mandatory challengers popping up for his other belts. Next up is the IBF mandatory, which will be confirmed following a final eliminator bout which will feature Frank Sanchez.
Moses Itauma passes on IBF mandatory eliminator fight
It’s a golden opportunity for a heavyweight to jump to the front of the line, yet no one seems to want to risk it against Sanchez. First, Efe Ajagba turned down the fight against Sanchez. Now, possibly the the most talented young fighter in the division, Moses Itauma, has done the same.
Rumors of a potential fight between Usyk and Itauma have already been floated around. Itauma is considered by many to be the most dangerous heavyweight boxer, aside from Usyk, at the moment. He likely would have been favored in a fight against Sanchez, which would then make him the IBF mandatory challenger to Usyk with a win.
Yet Itauma has rejected that idea and is going in a different direction. What that means for his immediate future is unclear. Either he believes Sanchez is too risky, or he has a more high-profile opponent lined up. Meanwhile, Usyk will keep waiting.
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