Itauma set to take on Dubois in upcoming bout

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British-Nigerian heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma has declared himself ready to fight new WBO champion Daniel Dubois for the title, after Dubois produced a remarkable comeback to stop Fabio Wardley in the 11th round of their all-British showdown in Manchester on Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

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Dubois, who was twice knocked down in the early rounds, dug deep to overpower Wardley and become a two-time WBO heavyweight champion at 28, with referee Howard Foster waving off the contest in the 11th round.

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The victory sealed the 22nd stoppage win of Dubois’ career and set up what could be a mouth-watering clash with Itauma, who is ranked number one by both the WBO and WBA.

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Speaking on talkSPORT from ringside before the main event, Itauma had backed his stablemate Wardley to win but made his intentions clear should the result go the other way. “100 per cent I’d fight Dubois. Come on, do you think I’m gonna come on live radio and say no, I won’t fight someone?” he said.

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WBO president Gustavo Olivieri had already indicated he would formally recommend Itauma as mandatory challenger, with committee approval still pending. Once confirmed, a decision will follow on whether Dubois must face Itauma next or whether he will be permitted a voluntary defence first.

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Given that Dubois’ own challenge against Wardley was voluntary, that luxury may not be extended to him.

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The Wardley fight had previously been held up as the barrier to any Itauma clash, with the former champion having consistently ruled out facing his training partner and fellow Ben Davison-trained fighter.

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That obstacle has now been removed, though promoter Frank Warren had recently mapped out a different path for Itauma, with a London headliner pencilled in for August 8 and a fight in the United States planned towards the end of the year. Those plans suggest the 21-year-old may target another of the four major belts before turning his attention to Dubois.

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Itauma arrives at this juncture on the back of a stoppage win over Jermaine Franklin, a result that drew particular attention given that neither Anthony Joshua nor Dillian Whyte had previously been able to stop the same opponent.

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