There is absolutely no doubt about it, unbeaten 20 year old British heavyweight prospect/contender Moses Itauma is a fighter to get excited about (even if this is not the case as far as Itauma’s next fight goes, this an expected easy night’s work against former linebacker Mike Balogun).

The skilled southpaw has, in his short pro career, shown speed, power, timing, and balance – this and a maturity beyond his years. And as special a talent as he clearly is, there is tendency to want to see Itauma rushed; this by the fans as was the people who handle him. Well, Frank Warren handles and promotes Itauma, and he has just told Sky Sports that it is possible Itauma could fight Oleksandr Usyk this year.

Usyk may be close to the end, with him saying recently that he may have just two more fights before calling it a career (a most glorious career). It looks like it could be Daniel Dubois in a rematch for Usyk next, but after that, could it perhaps be Usyk Vs. Itauma, in what could prove to be a quite amazing passing of the torch type fight?

“Who knows, he may fight him [Usyk] this year,” Warren said with regards to Itauma. “Anything’s possible. We’ve got to see what happens but the thing is with Moses, I think within another fight or two he’s quite capable of being in exactly the same company as all these guys.”

It would be quite something if Itauma, after two more fights/wins – over Balogun and then TBA – went in with Usyk, even more so if Itauma actually won the fight. But again, would this be rushing the 20 year old?

Itauma, 11-0(9) needs a testing fight, one that perhaps sees him clipped with some shots as he is also taken into those later rounds of a fight that he himself says he wants to see, to feel and experience. But the elite heavyweights aside, is anyone capable of giving Itauma this test?

It will be very interesting to see who Warren matches Itauma with next, this after the expected Balogun blowout.