Frank Warren hints that Moses Itauma will feature on Usyk-Dubois 2 undercard on July 19

The dust has barely settled upon Moses Itauma's emphatic second round TKO victory over Mike Balogun on Saturday night, but promoter Frank Warren is already plotting the 20-year-old's next move.

The Slovakian-born star maintained his rapid rise in the heavyweight division with another statement win, this time over the experienced American contender who he dropped twice en-route to his brutal stoppage.

Itauma has already secured himself a number one ranking with the WBO meaning he is the number one contender for a crack at Oleksandr Usyk's belt, but it's expected that he will be nurtured into his first world title opportunity.

The hard-hitting Queensberry fighter has never gone beyond six rounds, with each of his last eight professional fights being sewn up inside the opening couple of rounds.

Whilst it's understood that Itauma will be rolled back out at Wembley Stadium this summer, Warren has rubbished media reports that his charge could be set to tackle either Martin Bakole or Joseph Parker under the North London arch.

"I don’t know why everybody keeps going on about Bakole,” Warren told The Ring Magazine.

"He looked terrible in his last fight and he got knocked spark out in the one before that - I don’t really know what he is!

- Frank Warren (The Ring Magazine)

"I look at his list of opponents and he hasn’t really fought anyone so I don’t know where that talk of him fighting Moses has come from.

"And why would I want to give them the money they are asking for? Plus the fact I got a text off his trainer Billy Nelson saying he won’t be ready to fight until December.

"(Joseph) Parker is the WBO interim champion right now so that fight won’t happen on July 19 - we couldn’t afford to do it on the undercard at Wembley.

"We have names we are looking at and we will look at them over the next week or so, then we will confirm the details as soon as everything is signed and sealed."

Itauma has long been touted as a future heavyweight world champion, with some even speculating the youngster would go on to break 'Iron' Mike Tyson's record of being the youngest ever blue-riband division ruler.

But now, having missed the opportunity to do that, Warren says it's important that they plot out the right pathway for the 20-year-old in a bid to ensure that when he reaches the summit of the sport, he stays there.

“We could have rolled the dice and got Moses a world title shot, but his career is a marathon not a sprint," he added.

"I want him to learn his trade, so does Francis (Warren) and the team, but he is a very capable kid. He’s really not far off the world title and when he gets there we want him to stay there."

Mark Mothershaw

• Queensberry
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