The WBC has ordered Moses Itauma and Lawrence Okolie today to take part in a final heavyweight title eliminator. This will be a Queensberry-promoted event with the winner to be mandatory to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk if he doesn’t vacate.
Win-and-Advance Stakes
Okolie (22-1, 16 KOs) is the #1 ranked contender in the WBC’s rankings, whereas Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) is at #4. ESPN reports this was one of many moves the WBC made today during their 63rd annual convention in Bangkok, Thailand.
Itauma, 20, still must win his next fight against Jermaine Franklin (24-2, 15 KOs) before he’ll be available to face the former WBO cruiserweight champion Okolie in the WBC-ordered heavyweight title eliminator. Moses is scheduled to face Franklin in a 10-round headliner on DAZN on January 24, 2026, at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
Spring 2026 Target Date
Okolie has a hurdle he must surpass this month in a fight on December 19 in Nigeria against a still-to-be-determined opponent. As long as he and Itauma both win their fights, they’ll reportedly meet in March or April 2026.
It’s a win-win for Itauma and Okolie to take this fight, as neither of them has much chance of being picked out by IBF, WBA, and WBC champion Usyk for a title shot. At least this way, the Itauma-Okolie winner will be in position to be elevated to full champion if Usyk chooses to ignore them or vacate when ordered by the WBC.
We already saw that same scenario play out with Usyk vacating his WBO title on November 17, 2025, when he was ordered to defend against Fabio Wardley.
In an ideal world, Usyk would face the winner of the Itauma-Okolie fight, giving the younger fighters a chance to take over as the #1 heavyweight on the planet.