Derek Chisora, the veteran heavyweight and former Usyk opponent, has sided with Oleksandr Usyk’s decision not to fight Moses Itauma, arguing the unbeaten 21-year-old should first climb through domestic and European titles rather than jump straight to the division’s summit.
Speaking to IFL TV in comments reported by Boxing News on Friday, Chisora was blunt about the pecking order.
“Why should he fight Itauma? Has Itauma won the British title? Has he won a European title? Has he won an English title?”
“Everybody got steps to do,” Chisora said. “I think Moses Itauma should go and win the European title, British title and other belts. He should fight Fabio [as he’s ranked No.2 with the WBO]. That’s a good fight for Fabio.”
The comments are a continuation of a position Chisora has held for months. In a Ring Magazine interview earlier this year, highlighted by Boxing News, he warned that Usyk would be far too dangerous for Itauma at this stage: “Usyk will blow the smoke out of him. Usyk will kill him.”
Usyk’s stance on Itauma
Usyk has repeatedly ruled out the fight in recent weeks, framing it as career management rather than disrespect. Speaking to ESPN, the unified champion said: “No, I [don’t] want to fight with Itauma, because he’s a young guy, I don’t want to break this guy.”
He doubled down in a separate interview reported by Talksport: “I said before, I’m not going to fight Itauma because he is a young guy. But I don’t want to break him because this guy likes me.”
More recently, per rtfight.com, Usyk added a lighter touch: “He’s young, always teasing me. And he said himself he doesn’t hit grandpas.”
Why Chisora named Wardley
Chisora did not just tell Itauma to wait. He pointed to Fabio Wardley as a concrete next opponent, and that suggestion plugs directly into the current title picture.
Usyk has outlined a three-fight retirement plan to ESPN: first, kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 in Egypt; second, the winner of Wardley vs Daniel Dubois; and third, a trilogy with Tyson Fury. As Usyk told The Ring, quoted by The Independent: “Listen, Rico, this is first. Second, it’s who wins [between] Wardley [and] Dubois. And third fight, it’s my friend, ‘greedy belly’ Tyson Fury.”
Wardley sits closer to the immediate championship queue than Itauma does. That is precisely Chisora’s point. Itauma is ranked No. 1 by the WBA and WBO, according to Sky Sports, but Usyk’s roadmap is already full.
Itauma agrees with the pecking order
Itauma himself does not appear to disagree. Speaking to Sky Sports, the 21-year-old said: “Why would Usyk fight me?” He added that fighters like Wardley and Agit Kabayel “deserve the opportunity” ahead of him.
Itauma told rtfight.com he had not earned the shot “just yet” and would rather face opponents such as Kabayel or Joseph Parker before pushing for the biggest names.
This is not a prospect demanding a title shot while the champion refuses. The hype around Itauma’s ceiling is driving the debate more than any public demand from the fighter himself.
Franklin on March 28
Itauma’s next concrete step is Jermaine Franklin on March 28 at Co-op Live in Manchester, on the Queensberry “Magnificent 7” card. Franklin has gone the distance with both Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, while Itauma has been taken only 26 rounds across his 13 professional fights.
If Itauma handles Franklin comfortably, the calls for a world title shot will only grow louder. If he is extended, Chisora’s argument that more steps are needed first will look stronger still.
