WBO Champion Fabio Wardley Rules Out Fight with Stablemate Moses Itauma
WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley has firmly ruled out a potential bout against his stablemate, Moses Itauma, citing their shared training environment as a primary obstacle. Despite recent indications from WBO official Gustavo Olivieri that Itauma could be designated as the mandatory challenger following his victory over Jermaine Franklin, Wardley maintains that fighting someone he trains with daily under coach Ben Davison is currently impossible. Wardley, who is scheduled to defend his title against Daniel Dubois this summer, emphasized that such a matchup might be feasible further down the line but not during the early stages of his reign. His focus remains on securing fights against top-tier heavyweights like Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua. Meanwhile, Itauma acknowledged the awkwardness of the situation but noted that a fight might become more likely if Dubois wins the upcoming championship bout. As the number one ranked contender by the WBO and WBA, Itauma is preparing for a significant headline event at the O2 Arena in July, promoted by Frank Warren, while the timing of any mandatory enforcement remains uncertain.
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WBO Champion Fabio Wardley Rules Out Fight with Stablemate Moses Itauma
WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley has firmly ruled out a potential bout against his stablemate, Moses Itauma, citing their shared training environment as a primary obstacle. Despite recent indications from WBO official Gustavo Olivieri that Itauma could be designated as the mandatory challenger following his victory over Jermaine Franklin, Wardley maintains that fighting someone he trains with daily under coach Ben Davison is currently impossible. Wardley, who is scheduled to defend his title against Daniel Dubois this summer, emphasized that such a matchup might be feasible further down the line but not during the early stages of his reign. His focus remains on securing fights against top-tier heavyweights like Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua. Meanwhile, Itauma acknowledged the awkwardness of the situation but noted that a fight might become more likely if Dubois wins the upcoming championship bout. As the number one ranked contender by the WBO and WBA, Itauma is preparing for a significant headline event at the O2 Arena in July, promoted by Frank Warren, while the timing of any mandatory enforcement remains uncertain.
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