Murat Gassiev’s promotional team has doubts whether heavyweight “golden boy” Moses Itauma is really interested in a WBA title fight.
The WBA has ordered Itauma to fight the winner of this month’s Kubrat Paul vs. Murat Gassiev fight, with the Russian emerging victorious as the new WBA “regular” champion with a sixth-round knockout win at the IBA Pro 13 event in Dubai.
Itauma, who is preparing for his next fight against Jermaine Franklin in Manchester on January 24, has been ordered to face fellow Briton Lawrence Okolie in a WBC final eliminator, but the undefeated 20-year-old has not yet indicated his preferred option.
IBA pro promoter Al Siesta, who co-promotes Gassiev, told Sky Sports: “There was a lot of talk about what Murat Gassiev has left in the lead-up to his (WBA heavyweight title) fight against Kubrat Pulev. It’s been a frustrating period for him with injuries and inactivity, but we believed in his ability.”
“We won against Pulev and he repaid our faith with a stunning knockout. For me, it was the cruelest knockout of 2025.
“Gasiev is back to his best. He was one of the greatest cruiserweights of his time, and now he’s made his mark at heavyweight. He’s overcome his injury problems and now he’s ready to fight the best in the world, anyone, anytime, anywhere.”
“Of course there was an order from the WBA for Moses Itauma to face the winner of Pulev vs. Gassiev – there was a lot of talk from our friends at Queensberry Promotions – but since Gassiev’s devastating performance, all seems to have gone quiet. Now there is talk of Itauma vs. Lawrence Okolie.
“For me, this is no coincidence. They would have jumped at the chance to play Kubrat Pulev, who is 44 years old, but an elite slugger like Murat Gassiev? I know the game and I can understand why Frank Warren would not want to pair his ‘golden boy’ with Murat. We take that as a compliment!”
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Highlights of Moses Itauma’s stunning victory over Dillian Whyte in Riyadh. Press provided by: DAZN and Queensberry Promotions
“But if Itauma is ready to step up and face a real challenge, we will welcome him to Murat’s first defense. It will be an epic match. Murat will play against anyone and any snake in the world We can do it anywhere: in Moscow, in Dubai, in London, or on the moon! Murat is a world champion and a man of the people, and he plans to show off his abilities to audiences all over the world.”
Gassiev could instead target a string of big British heavyweight names, as he has ambitious plans to face Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua and Fabio Wardley.
“It’s Murat’s dream to fight in London, especially at Wembley Stadium. He loves the British boxing fans and their passion for the sport,” Siesta said. He feeds off this energy. If Itauma is not ready, his friend Derek Chisora has already called for a fight with Murat.
“In fact, after Murat beat Pulev, he was in the ring before me. What a story. Derek Chisora fights for the WBA heavyweight title in his 50th professional fight. We know what Derek brings and we are 100% ready to make this fight in London.”
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Highlights of Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua. Video provided by Netflix and MVP. Jake vs Joshua is now available worldwide exclusively on Netflix
Joshua ended a 15-month absence from the ring with a sixth-round knockout of YouTube star Jake Paul in the early hours of Saturday, while Wardley is considering his next move after becoming the new WBO champion following a hiatus from Joseph Parker in October.
Siesta added: “Of course we have Anthony Joshua. If he wants a chance to be world champion again, commercially there is no bigger fight for us in the UK. I understand he is looking for a lead-in fight before he faces Tyson Fury in 2026, but don’t get me wrong, Murat is not a lead-in fight for everyone.”
“A fight with ‘AJ’ would be a huge international event that could fill any stadium or arena in the UK. But we appreciate that Joshua seems to have reached a stage in his career where he wants maximum reward with minimum risk. He has earned that right – but if he still has ambitions of becoming a three-time world champion, Eddie Hearn should have my number.”
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Highlights of the heavyweight showdown between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley at the O2 Arena. (Credit: DAZN)
“The last one is, of course, Fabio Wardley, the WBO champion. What can I say about Fabio? He’s done very well to get to the level he’s reached. He’s got tremendous heart and desire – and he’ll fight anyone. We were disappointed to see Oleksandr Usyk vacate the title without giving Wardley the shot he clearly deserved, but this is boxing, and we are ready for this match between two proud champions for the WBA and WBO titles.
“The match between Fabio and Murat is a must-see on TV, but be careful: we cannot give Murat the same success as (Justice) Huni and (Joseph) Parker, otherwise it will be a night in no time.”
“We’re ready to fight anyone in this weight class. Murat is the type of fighter who wants to shine in big fights and face the best. His desire to conquer Britain is no secret. And heavyweight is a division dominated by Brits! Our friends at Queensbury and Matchroom have my number. We’re ready for a fight at a moment’s notice.”
“Murat Gassiev is back, bigger, better and worse than ever. Our dream is to perform in front of a sold-out crowd in the UK in 2026!”
