Tony Bellew does not want to see Moses Itauma thrown in with Oleksandr Usyk just yet, and his reason is simple: the British heavyweight prospect has not gone past six rounds.
Speaking on Fight Your Corner, in partnership with Midnite, Bellew said it would be “absolutely insane” to match Itauma with Usyk at this stage. The warning comes at a time when some fans have floated Itauma as a possible farewell opponent for Usyk, who has vacated his heavyweight world titles as he winds down his career.
Why Bellew thinks the timing is wrong
Bellew’s argument is rooted in experience. Itauma has built real momentum, but Bellew believes there is still a gap between hype and the demands of a championship-level fight. In his view, Usyk would be able to drag the 39-year-old-style experience test, if not the age itself, into territory Itauma has not yet seen.
As Bellew put it, a fighter like Usyk would know he only needed to see past six rounds with a young opponent and could take him into places he has never been before. That, Bellew suggested, is why the matchup should wait.
What comes next for Itauma
Itauma’s next assignment is a more measured step. On August 29, he is scheduled to face Filip Hrgovic at the O2 Arena in London. Bellew sees that bout as the first real measuring stick for how close Itauma is to world-title level.
Bellew also pointed to Jermaine Franklin as Itauma’s best win so far, while saying Franklin is known for losing. He added that Frank Warren has done a strong job building Itauma carefully, creating a hype train that has now reached the point where there is no easy turning back.
That is why the Hrgovic fight matters. If Itauma performs well, the conversation around future heavyweight title opportunities will only grow louder. If he struggles, the talk around an Usyk fight should cool quickly. Either way, Bellew’s message was clear: the leap to Usyk is too big right now.
