Itauma’s team accused of avoiding Gassiev's fight

Moses Itauma’s team has been accused of deliberately avoiding Murat Gassiev's fight after the WBA ordered the former to fight him.

Itauma, who has a 13-0 record, 11 out of which are knockouts, had a standout year in 2025. He fought twice and one both of his fights.

The best win of his career came in August 2025, when he knocked out Dillian Whyte in the first round of their clash.

Itauma has emerged as a rising star, and the 20-year-old possesses a sensational skill set and has been compared to greats like Mike Tyson from a very early age.

He will take on American Jermaine Franklin in late January in Manchester.

Franklin is not a stranger to UK shores and fought both Anthony Joshua and Whyte.

Waiting on the horizon after that, should Itauma win, is Murat Gassiev, who defeated Kubrat Pulev with a sixth-round knockout to win the WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight title in Dubai early in December 2025.

The WBA has since ordered Itauma to fight Gassiev, but his co-promoter Al Siesta has told Sky Sports he hasn’t heard from him.

“There was, of course, an order by the WBA for Moses Itauma to face the winner of Pulev vs Gassiev – with a lot of talk from our friends at Queensberry Promotions – but since Gassiev’s destructive performance, it all seems to have gone quiet. Now, there is talk of Itauma vs Lawrence Okolie,” Al Siesta said.

“For me, this is no coincidence. They would have jumped at the chance to face a 44-year-old Kubrat Pulev, but a prime, heavy-hitter like Murat Gassiev? I know the game and I can see why Frank Warren would not want to put his ‘Golden Boy’ in with Murat. We take it as a compliment!”