Who Should Moses Itauma Fight Next Following Shock First Defeat?

Seven rounds. For that long, the O2 belonged to Moses Itauma. The question now is, who should Moses Itauma fight next after suffering his first professional defeat?

Back in August, the 21-year-old British phenom fought for the vacant IBF world heavyweight title Oleksandr Usyk had given up, on a night billed as ‘Witness History,’ trying to become the youngest heavyweight champion since a 20-year-old Mike Tyson stopped Trevor Berbick in 1986. For most of his 15th professional fight, he looked every inch of the superstar he was billed as being. A right hook earned Hrgovic a standing eight count in the second, and Itauma’s hand speed and body work had the Croatian soaking up punishment round after round.

Online betting sites made Itauma an overwhelming favorite to get the job done. Outlets such as the popular Lucky Rebel Sportsbook listed him as short as 3/20, with Hrgovic way out at 5/1. But as he failed to get the granite-chinned Croatian out of there, the fuel tank began to deplete. It was Itauma’s first time beyond the sixth round, and the young prodigy looked out on his feet.

Itauma’s Gas Tank Betrays Him

Hrgovic, 34, found something; Itauma didn’t. He landed a flurry of shots as Itauma wilted and referee Howard Foster ended it two minutes and 27 seconds into the ninth, before the young Brit could absorb potentially debilitating damage, even though he hadn’t yet truly taken any heavy punches of note. He left the ring on a stretcher for what Frank Warren called a precautionary hospital visit, having punched himself out chasing the knockout.

The new champion, Croatia’s first at heavyweight, was disarmingly honest: “I was losing every round. I was outboxed.” Then came the tribute: “I’m the present. And he’s definitely the future.” Agit Kabayel came face to face with him in the ring; mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez had been paid step-aside money, and Tyson Fury offered a shrug: “That’s boxing, it happens.”

What does it say about Itauma that the man who beat him admitted losing every round? That the talent is real and the education has barely begun. Make no mistake: the question of who Moses Itauma should fight next may matter more than any fight he’s had, as his next opponent could play a crucial role in helping him learn from his first professional defeat and prepare for the challenges ahead.

Filip Hrgovic (Rematch)

On paper, the rematch writes itself. Hrgovic is now 22-1, an Olympic medalist, and a durable pressure fighter whose only loss came to Daniel Dubois in 2024, when deep cuts above his eyes prompted the ringside doctor to recommend a stoppage despite the fight being in the balance.

Itauma’s early control, and the champion’s own confession, make the sporting case. But is a rematch the answer, or is it too soon? Hrgovic wants unification with Dubois or Kabayel, insisting “Frank Sanchez will wait.” Kabayel’s manager Spencer Brown told The Ring they’re targeting a November defense in Germany, then Hrgovic in 2027. And Sanchez won’t budge; he says the IBF has ruled Hrgovic must face him next, with no other bouts permitted, unifications included.

Even Itauma’s own promoter is cautious: Warren told talkSPORT he’d like to see one or two fights first and has urged a rest despite Itauma asking for the rematch. Immediately? Unlikely. In 2027, far more realistic.

Joseph Parker

Experience is the one commodity Itauma can’t buy, and Parker has it by the crate. The former WBO champion is a seasoned boxer-puncher with a chin to match, and after losing to Joe Joyce in 2022, he rebuilt with six straight wins, Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang among them, plus the WBO interim title and a two-round demolition of Martin Bakole in February 2025. Then came October.

Fabio Wardley stopped him in the 11th while Parker led on two cards, with the third level. For Itauma, a potential clash against the veteran is a 12-round classroom against a man who knows how to bank rounds. Plausible, but complicated: manager David Higgins says Parker is excited by the Dubois-Wardley rematch winner and would welcome another go at Dillian Whyte, whom Itauma has already flattened inside a round.

Jarrell Miller

Few heavyweights would ask harder questions of Itauma’s engine than Jarrell Miller. At 38, Big Baby sits second in the WBA rankings, a massive volume puncher now 28-1-2 with 22 knockouts. Losing to Dubois in 2023 dented him, and the 2024 majority draw with Ruiz left more questions. Yet 2026 has revived him: a split decision over Kingsley Ibeh at Madison Square Garden in January, then 1,003 punches at 305lbs in beating Lenier Pero in Las Vegas with Bozy Ennis in his corner for the first time.

A fighter who leans, smothers, and drains is precisely the energy-management exam Itauma failed. It won’t happen soon, though. Eddie Hearn told iFL TV they’re negotiating a WBA title fight with Murat Gassiev, and four failed drug tests cost Miller his 2019 date with Anthony Joshua, a history any opponent’s team will weigh.

Andy Ruiz Jr

And then there’s the counterpuncher. The former unified champion is fading, but those hands are still quick. After wins over Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz, he fractured his right hand in the fifth round of the Miller draw, signed with Matchroom, and returned in Newark last month weighing 254.3lbs, his lightest since 2018. It didn’t help.

Damian Knyba dropped him in the seventh and won 117-110, 114-113, and 114-113, leaving him 35-3-1. Still, Ruiz punishes overcommitment better than anyone, as Joshua discovered in 2019.

How does a fighter learn to pace himself without someone who makes him pay for not doing so? This is the most makeable fight of the four: a big name who needs a payday. The obstacle is promotional, with Ruiz under Hearn’s banner and Itauma with Warren’s Queensberry. But the two have come together to make big fights plenty of times in recent years, and this one would likely be no different. Ultimately, the Moses Itauma next fight could prove crucial in helping the young heavyweight learn from his first professional defeat and prepare for future championship opportunities.