Promoter ‘very confident’ Moses Itauma will fight for world title in 2026

Moses Itauma (centre) celebrates with Francis Warren and Frank Warren (right) after winning their WBA International and WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight bout against Jermaine Franklin at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. Picture date: Saturday March 28, 2026. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images Promoter Frank Warren says he’s “very confident” that rising superstar Moses Itauma will fight for a world heavyweight title this year, following Itauma’s vicious fifth round knockout win over Jermaine Franklin today in Manchester.

Warren says that Itauma (14-0, 12 KO) will return in the summer first, and let the big names in the division — including three-body titleholder Oleksandr Usyk — get through their next fights before focusing on something even bigger. “He’ll be out again probably in July, and we’ll be announcing someone,” Warren said after today’s fight. “We’ll sit down and look at a few things.

He’s No. 1 in the WBO, he’s No. 1 in the WBA.

There’s a lot of fights happening over the next few months, and we’ll talk something out. Don’t worry, it’ll be a big, big fight, because he’s a big, big fighter. ” Asked if Usyk will need to vacate one of his three titles for Itauma to get a world title shot, Warren looked at the layout and said he was confident that, in some fashion, Itauma will fight for a world title in 2026.