2025-10-16 09:30:22

Moses Itauma is to fight Kubrat Pulev for his WBA title.

The Wrecking Ball, 20, has been ordered to challenge The Cobra, 44, for his heavyweight championship after Pulev and Michael Hunter, 37, failed to agree on terms for the fight.

Undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, 38, currently holds the WBA super title, while Pulev claimed the WBA regular championship after beating Mahmoud Charr, 41, on points last December.

Meanwhile, Itauma – who the WBA No.1-ranked contender – had been offered an IBF final eliminator against Frank Sanchez, 33, with the winner then getting the chance at Usyk’s IBF title.

However, the young boxer has instead opted to vie for the WBA championship.

Itauma and Pulev will have 30 days to reach an agreement for the bout, and if the negotations fail, the WBA will order a purse bid.

Although Exodus rejected the Sanchez fight, Itauma may still find another way to do battle with The Cat – and his trainer Ben Davison thinks such a bout would be a “win-win” for both sides.

Speaking with Sky Sports of a possible Usyk fight, Davison said: “I would take it. I would. I think it’s a win-win.

“As much as Moses hasn’t boxed anybody like Usyk, I don’t think Usyk’s boxed anybody like Moses. I think he would openly say that himself.

“It’s something he [Itauma] would be up for. I think he’s got the mindset: if you’re taking a dive [into the deep end] you might as well take the dive. Hopefully we may end up in a world title fight.”

Itauma is hoping to have one more match before the end of 2025, and Davison thinks Jermaine Franklin, 31, or Filip Hrgovic, 33, would be a good fit.

He said: “Those are the two on everybody’s lips. They’re not interested and it’s the same for pretty much all of them, so it’s difficult.

“It’s difficult to get these opponents at this moment in time. They’re not interested, they don’t want to play ball.

“They just want so much money to box him it’s hard to get the opponents. The next fight, if we can pull something off and get somebody like that we’re all for that. That’s what we’re after, the same as everybody else.

“But if not I suppose we’ll have to drop down a level and try again in the new year maybe.”

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