Oleksandr Usyk beats Rico Verhoeven: What next for heavyweight division?

Moses Itauma continues to gain momentum as the most exciting British heavyweight of recent years.

The 21-year-old scored an impressive fifth-round victory over Jermaine Franklin in March, becoming the first fighter to stop the American in 27 professional bouts.

Itauma’s title shot is looming, even though Usyk has previously refused to face him.

Itauma is expected to return against significant opposition at the O2 Arena in London on August 8; Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic is currently seen as the leading option.

Hrgovic has strong pedigrees, having won an Olympic bronze medal in 2016. Most recently, he made a dominant stop on Dave Allen this month.

This would represent another important step for Itauma before a potential move towards the Dubois-Wardley winner in 2027, but any meeting with Wardley would be complicated by the fact that both he and Itauma are trained by Ben Davison.

Meanwhile, veteran American Deontay Wilder is yet to announce his next move after defeating Briton Derek Chisora, who is reportedly considering a U-turn on retirement, while British champion Richard Riakporhe remains active domestically.