WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev has expressed his ‘respect’ for Moses Itauma while teasing that a future fight could soon be on the cards.
Gassiev is set to pursue his 34th professional victory when he faces Tony Yoka in Moscow on July 11. A win would preserve his status as the mandatory challenger – behind Agit Kabayel – for a shot at Super champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Itauma, though, was ordered to fight Gassiev by the WBA earlier in the year, but opted to fight American Jermaine Franklin at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester instead, against whom he scored an impressive fifth-round stoppage.
However, Gassiev remains open to a future clash with the British star, who is reportedly set to face Filip Hrgovic in London this August.
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Andy Scott and Gary Logan debate who Moses Itauma should face next following his devastating knockout win over Jermaine Franklin.
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Moses Itauma delivers ‘beautiful’ knockout to stop Jermaine Franklin in the fifth-round of their bout at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena. Pictures courtesy of X @DAZN.
“[Itauma] is very young, he has a lot of time. Right now he just needs to enjoy, have fun in the gym, in training camp, in the fights,” Gassiev told Sky Sports.
“He has a good future. Right now he went this way, I went that way.
“Maybe, at the end of the year or maybe next year, we can make the fight, in the UK – or anywhere. But right now for me, my focus is Tony [Yoka].”
Murat Gassiev is still open to a future fight against Moses Itauma
While Gassiev is aware of Itauma’s youth, he doesn’t underestimate the British heavyweight’s capability in the ring, which has earned him a vaunted 14-0-0 record with 12 KOs after 14 career fights.
“He’s 21 – very young – but his style, he doesn’t fight like a kid,” Gassiev said. “He’s smart, he’s strong. He has a strong mentality. And you never know what will happen in the ring.
“Right now, I watch him, and I can say only that I respect him, only good things about him, because he’s young.
“He’s not a trash talker. He always has respect, doesn’t speak too much [about his opponents], just does his job.
“I see myself in the mirror [when I look at him], because I remember when I 21 years old, I was the same – humble, quiet, just training and trying to win my fights, trying to do best in the ring.”
Siesta: Itauma is the future, but Gassiev is the present
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Murat Gassiev’s promoter Al Siesta is confident his fighter would beat Moses Itauma and states he’ll unify the heavyweight division in the next two years.
Gassiev’s promoter Al Siesta, speaking on the Toe2Toe podcast:
“Murat Gassiev can cope with anyone.
“Forgive me for making a statement here, but I truly believe – in his current form and shape – he will unify the division.
“I do believe he’s a serious contender to unify the division in the next two years. Maybe it will be Moses Itauma, it will be Daniel Dubois [that he’ll fight against] – whoever it will be, they will be on a collision course with Gassiev.
“We actually wanted to make a fight against Itauma, but it didn’t work out. Hopefully we will get it soon.
‘I do believe Itauma is a great prospect, but – I don’t want to be sounding big headed for Gassiev – he is the present. You’ll see very soon.”
Watch MVPW-06 in Birmingham, headlined by Mikaela Mayer vs Chantelle Cameron and with Caroline Dubois also in action, live on August 29 on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream boxing with no contract.
