Promoter Frank Warren believes British heavyweight boxing is entering a new "golden age," highlighted by the rapid ascent of 21-year-old prodigy Moses Itauma.
Itauma is set to challenge Filip Hrgovic for the IBF heavyweight title on August 29 at London's O2 arena. The fight was elevated to a championship bout after undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk vacated his belts. Hrgovic, 31, boasts a record of 21 wins with one loss, his sole defeat coming two years ago against Daniel Dubois. Dubois has since become the WBO champion and is scheduled for a rematch against Fabio Wardley in October.
Warren, whose Queensberry Promotions stable includes several top heavyweights, also anticipates Tyson Fury's highly anticipated "Battle of Britain" clash with Anthony Joshua in November. The venue for Fury vs. Joshua is being considered for either Wembley Stadium or Madison Square Garden in New York.
"These are amazingly exciting times for heavyweight boxing in this country," Warren stated. "We have a whole programme of mouth-watering fights pencilled in our calendar at Queensberry."
Warren expressed confidence in Itauma, projecting him to become the second youngest heavyweight world champion in history, behind Mike Tyson. Following a potential win against Hrgovic, Itauma would face a mandatory defense against American fighter Frank Mitchell. Warren views Hrgovic as a more significant challenge than Mitchell.
Looking further ahead, Warren envisions a potential IBF-WBO title unification fight between Itauma and the winner of the Dubois-Wardley rematch. He described such a bout as one that "would sell-out Wembley in a heart-beat."
Warren suggested that Tyson Fury could face the winner of the new generation of heavyweights, including Itauma, after his bout with Joshua. He speculated about the immense public interest such a matchup would generate, questioning if any stadium would be large enough to accommodate the event. Warren emphasized Itauma's maturity and level-headedness, qualities he believes are crucial for navigating the high-stakes environment of top-tier boxing.