After Efe Ajagba and Elizabeth Oshoba’s WBC silver title triumphs and Moses Itauma’s collection of continental titles, 2026 presents the year for the trio to claim world championship glory, PETER AKINBO writes
Efe Ajagba
US-based Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba has travelled the longest road of the trio, but the 31-year-old WBC silver heavyweight champion believes he is just one fight away from a world title shot.
Born in Ughelli, Delta State, Ajagba took up boxing in 2011 after playing football and working in a bakery. Under coach Anthony Konyegwachie, he represented Nigeria at the 2016 Rio Olympics and won bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and gold at the 2015 African Games.
The 6ft 5in orthodox fighter turned professional with a perfect 5-0 record and famously scored the fastest victory in boxing history when Curtis Harper walked out of the ring after one second in August 2018.
Ajagba, known as ‘The Silent Roller’, has compiled a record of 20 wins, one loss and one draw with 14 knockouts. His only defeat came against Frank Sanchez in October 2021, a fight he was originally scheduled to rematch in an IBF title eliminator before withdrawing over a “poor” purse offering.
The decision cost him his IBF ranking and a six-month ban from IBF-sanctioned contests, but Ajagba has since rebuilt his career. In September 2025, he cracked The Ring magazine’s heavyweight top 10, grabbing the No. 10 spot—making him the only Nigerian currently ranked among the division’s elite.
“This is a big moment for me and for Nigerian boxing,” Ajagba said after the announcement. “To see my name among the best heavyweights in the world means my hard work is being noticed. But I know this is only the beginning. My focus is on climbing higher and challenging for the world title.”
Speaking during a visit to Nigeria in 2025, Ajagba revealed his championship ambitions.
“I think just one more fight to get to a world title,” he told PUNCH Sports Extra. “If I have the choice, I will bring it here to Nigeria. If I want to defend it, I will always want it here.”
He will take the next step on February 14 when he headlines Zuffa Boxing’s Valentine’s Day card against former IBF champion Charles Martin at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With his ranking restored and momentum building, 2026 could finally be the year Ajagba challenges for boxing’s biggest prize.
Moses Itauma
British-Nigerian heavyweight sensation Moses Itauma has emerged as one of boxing’s most exciting prospects, and at just 21, he is already being tipped for world championship glory before the year ends.
Born in Slovakia to a Nigerian father and Slovak mother, Itauma moved to England in 2008 after his family experienced racism in their home country. He settled in Chatham, Kent, where he began boxing at St Mary’s ABC after initially trying football.
The youngster compiled an unbeaten amateur record of 24 wins with 11 knockouts, claiming gold medals in Schools, Juniors, Youth European competitions and the Heavyweight Youth World Gold Medal before turning professional in January 2023.
His professional career has been nothing short of spectacular. Itauma announced his arrival with a 23-second knockout of Marcel Bode on his debut and has since racked up 13 consecutive victories, with 11 coming by knockout, nine inside the first two rounds.
The highlight of his career so far came in August 2025 when he demolished former world title challenger Dillian Whyte in just one round to claim the Commonwealth heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He also holds the WBO Intercontinental heavyweight title.
His promoter Frank Warren believes Itauma could fight for a world title in 2026 if he overcomes Jermaine Franklin on March 28 in Manchester.
“I feel that if Moses comes through this fight, I think he sets himself up for fighting for a world title before the end of the year,” Warren told talkSPORT.
“Maybe even becoming the youngest Brit to ever win a world title.”
Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr agrees, but with a caveat. “He could be the next dominant force for sure, as long as he doesn’t get moved too fast,” Jones told Clubhouse Boxing.
Itauma was voted The Ring’s 2024 Prospect of the Year and is currently ranked as the WBO’s No. 1 contender after Interim titlist Joseph Parker.
With multiple pathways to a world title shot, 2026 could be the year Itauma makes history.
Elizabeth Oshoba
UK-based Nigerian boxer Elizabeth Oshoba has already made history and now has her sights set on becoming Nigeria’s first female undisputed world champion.
The 26-year-old WBC silver featherweight champion entered 2026 as the world’s fourth-ranked super lightweight boxer, climbing one spot in BoxRec’s latest rankings released earlier this year.
Born on December 23, 1999, Oshoba made history in January 2024 when she knocked out Italy’s Michela Braga in the 10th round at Copenhagen’s Royal Arena to become the first female Nigerian boxer to win a world title.
“I feel on top of the world. I am very happy with this title, it is my first world title, but I am still focused, and I can’t wait to fight more world title fights and claim the main WBC belt,” Oshoba told The PUNCH after that historic victory.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist maintains a perfect professional record of nine wins with five knockouts and also holds the IBO female super-featherweight title, which she won via unanimous decision against Italian Martina Righi in November 2023.
Oshoba now sits behind USA’s Alycia Baumgardner, Belgium’s Delfine Persoon, and Australia’s Mea Motu in the updated rankings.
“I’m grateful to God for this achievement, and I’m not stopping here,” Oshoba told PUNCH Sports Extra. “My eyes are set on the top three and ultimately the number one spot. With hard work and dedication, I know it’s possible.”
With her ranking rising and form intact, 2026 could see Oshoba add the main WBC featherweight title to her collection and cement her status as Nigeria’s greatest female boxer.
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