British-Nigerian heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma has seen his next fight pushed back for the second time, with promoter Frank Warren now targeting the back end of August as the most realistic window for his return, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Itauma had initially been scheduled to fight on July 25 before the bout was moved to August 8 to avoid a clash with Anthony Joshua’s contest against Kristian Prenga.
However, that date has also proved untenable, with Warren now indicating late August — likely August 22 or August 29 — as the new target.
“We have been trying to get it done over the last few weeks. It’s not that it is an issue; it is just that it was a matter of getting us all together. And we should be in a position to announce the fight sometime next week, I hope. It will be the back end of August,” Warren told iFL TV.
The 21-year-old is expected to face Croatian contender Filip Hrgovic in what will represent his most significant test to date.
Hrgovic, who is ranked inside the global top ten at heavyweight, carries a record of 20-1, with his only defeat coming via an eighth-round stoppage on cuts against current WBO heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois in 2024.
He holds notable wins over Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce and has long been considered a world title challenger. Last month, he stopped Dave Allen in three rounds in a Queensberry Promotions headliner in Doncaster.
Allen, who experienced Hrgovic’s quality firsthand, nonetheless believes the Croatian will struggle to contain Itauma’s explosive speed.
“I think Itauma might be too fast for him, just too fast. But you have to be a good one to beat him. He’s very good — better than I thought,” Allen said on his YouTube channel.
Hrgovic is contractually bound to face either Itauma, Agit Kabayel, Dubois, or Fabio Wardley next. With Dubois and Wardley set for a rematch later in the year and Kabayel waiting on a mandatory shot at Oleksandr Usyk, Itauma remains the only realistic option.
The Chatham southpaw has torn through the heavyweight division at remarkable speed, going 14-0 with his most recent outing — a five-round demolition of the typically durable Jermaine Franklin in March — further cementing his reputation as one of the most exciting young heavyweights in the sport.
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