Anthony Joshua Warns of Heavyweight Shake-Up as Moses Itauma Emerges as the Next Dominant Force

The heavyweight division is in a strong place, but it’s also on the brink of change. Oleksandr Usyk remains firmly on the throne, dominating the division with little real threat as he approaches 39 years old. Behind him are the marquee names who have already fallen to him—Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois.

There are still dangerous veterans in the mix, including Joseph Parker, Agit Kabayel, and Fabio Wardley. Yet lurking just beyond them is a rising force—Moses Itauma. At only 20 years old, Itauma has already stamped his name onto the scene, most notably with a stunning first-round TKO over Dillian Whyte in August. Despite his youth, he looks ready for a world title shot.

Whether that opportunity comes soon remains uncertain. What is certain is the hype surrounding him, and for good reason. He has cut through his opposition with ease, and what we’ve seen so far may only be the beginning.

His trainer, Ben Davison, has made a bold declaration about Itauma’s potential. Speaking to talkSPORT, Davison said:

“I don’t think this country has ever produced the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world. But with Moses Itauma, we have the opportunity to change that. For a British heavyweight to have the potential to be the pound-for-pound best—that’s what we’re looking at.”

Davison even suggested that no one currently has a better chance of beating Usyk than Itauma. That’s remarkable praise, especially coming from a trainer who has worked with some of the sport’s biggest names, including Fury, Joshua, Wardley, and others.

“Hearn stirs the boxing world: Joshua might not hesitate to face young phenom Moses Itauma in a high-stakes title fight.”

A fight between Anthony Joshua and Moses Itauma could be made, but a world title would have to be on the line says promoter Eddie Hearn.

Itauma is in the early stages of his professional career, but has shown his promise and his capabilities in a lightning-quick demolition of Dillian Whyte.

Joshua is 15 years older than Itauma and has already been a unified heavyweight champion twice before.

Itauma’s promoter, Frank Warren told Sky Sports: “I’d do that [AJ-Itauma fight] tomorrow. It isn’t going to happen. First of all they’ve got the same trainer [in Ben Davison].”

Eddie Hearn, who represents Joshua, could see a fight with Itauma happening, if it was for a world heavyweight championship

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“I don’t really look at the Moses fight and think that’s a fight for AJ,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “There’s many reasons for that. One, what do you gain out if it?

“Moses is a very good fighter. If you win you’ve beat up a 20-year-old. If you lose you’ve lost to a 20-year-old and your career’s over. It’s a dangerous fight, I rate Moses very highly.”

But the promoter noted: “AJ, his decision would be completely different. He would probably be bang up for fighting Moses. He’d find that exciting and if there was a chance to fight Moses for the world heavyweight title, we’d take it in a heartbeat.”

While Hearn admires Itauma, for all of the young heavyweight’s abilities he cautions against rushing him.

“I think that Moses has a lot of work to do. He’s an extraordinary talent but we have no idea if he can tick the boxes that are required to be a true great and a true champion in the division,” Hearn said. “What’s his chin like? What’s it like when it gets really tough in the trenches?

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“Now he could tick all those boxes, I’m not questioning those, but you’ve got to show them and we’ve seen it [go wrong] over the years time and time again.

“The reality is, Moses hasn’t fought anyone really yet,” Hearn added. “I want to see Moses against [Agit] Kabayel, against [Martin] Bakole, against Jarrell Miller. Someone who can stand up to him, take him four, five, six rounds and then ask some questions.

“Moses is going to be a world heavyweight champion… But I would take it a little bit slower.”

Eddie Hearn hints: A Joshua vs Fury clash could become the most monumental showdown boxing has ever seen.

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has described the potential showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury as “the biggest fight in boxing.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Matchroom chairman admitted he would “kick himself” if the two heavyweights never met in the ring.

“It would be a real, real shame if Tyson and AJ never fought. I don’t really have many regrets, but I think we would always kick ourselves if we never saw that fight. It’s the biggest fight in boxing,” Hearn said.

Joshua has not fought since suffering a knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in 2024, while Fury has been inactive since back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, after which he briefly announced his retirement. Despite that, Hearn is confident the unified heavyweight champion will return.

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He added: “You can’t even compare anything we’ve done so far; Froch-Groves, AJ-Klitschko, Benn-Eubank. This is completely different. It shuts down the country. Two great fighters, two different personalities, and two individuals the British public have wanted to see face each other for so long. Tell me a bigger fight in boxing? It doesn’t exist.”

Joshua recently called Fury “dippy” on social media, a sign Hearn believes reflects the 35-year-old’s hunger for the fight.

“AJ has always held his tongue, but now he’s like, ‘why not?’ He wants this fight. We want the fight, we’re ready to talk. This isn’t goading Tyson Fury, it’s just facts,” Hearn said.

According to Hearn, Joshua is eyeing a tune-up fight in early 2026, while Fury may also want one before talks of a blockbuster clash can truly begin.

“The good news is that AJ has recovered, injury-free and ready to start training camp,” Hearn said. “He’s fired up and still has a lot to give. And if you look at Fury’s social media, he’s training again, which gives me hope. I think people around him feel like he’ll return.”