Billy Joe Saunders has made a striking prediction about the heavyweight picture, saying Daniel Dubois would have no chance against Moses Itauma if the two Britons meet next year. Saunders went even further, calling Itauma the best heavyweight he has seen since Muhammad Ali.
The comments arrive with Itauma preparing for a major step on August 29, when the 21-year-old is scheduled to face Filip Hrgovic at the O2 Arena in London. If Itauma wins, he would move closer to becoming IBF heavyweight champion, which would add even more weight to talk of a possible all-British world heavyweight title unification with Dubois next year.
Why Saunders is so strong on Itauma
Saunders did not leave much room for doubt when asked about a potential Dubois-Itauma fight. He said: “No, [I don’t give Daniel Dubois a chance against Itauma]. I don’t give any heavyweight, whatsoever, a chance with him.”
That is a bold assessment, especially given what Dubois has already achieved. Earlier this year, he knocked out Fabio Wardley and became a two-time world champion, while also holding the WBO title. But Saunders clearly believes Itauma is operating on a different level entirely.
“People might think that I am crazy. I think that Moses is the best that I have seen since Muhammad Ali,” Saunders said. For a former two-weight world champion to make that comparison in public is a significant statement, and it underlines just how highly Itauma is rated in some boxing circles.
The path before the big domestic showdown
For now, though, the immediate task belongs to Itauma. Filip Hrgovic stands in the way on August 29, and that fight will tell us far more about where the 21-year-old sits among the heavyweights.
Dubois, meanwhile, is expected to rematch Fabio Wardley in October. Only after those separate assignments are completed can the conversation fully turn to the possibility of an all-British world heavyweight title unification next year.
If that fight does materialise, Saunders has already made his position clear. He believes Itauma is not just a future champion, but a fighter capable of beating one of Britain’s current headline heavyweights with room to spare.
