WBO plans Moses Itauma mandatory shot against Fabio Wardley

The WBO plans to move Moses Itauma into position as its mandatory heavyweight challenger following his fifth-round stoppage of Jermaine Franklin.

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri said he will recommend Itauma be installed as the organization’s next mandatory.

“I will formally recommend to the Championship Committee that Mr. Itauma be designated as the mandatory challenger in the WBO heavyweight division,” Olivieri stated on X.

The problem for Wardley is that Gustavo Olivieri doesn’t care about gym friendships or “money fights.” By moving to install Itauma as the mandatory, the WBO is effectively starting a countdown.

Itauma is currently ranked #1 by the WBO and WBA, #3 with the WBC, and #11 by the IBF.

The WBO title is held by Fabio Wardley, who faces Daniel Dubois on May 9. The winner could be ordered to defend against Itauma.

Wardley indicated he is not prioritising a fight with Itauma at this stage.

“There are different milestones I think Moses will want to tick off,” Wardley said to The Sun. “There are four belts out there. There’s enough time. So, yeah, everyone can just calm down a bit.”

Wardley is absolutely right to look past Itauma from a business perspective. He’s 31, currently holds the WBO heavyweight title, and is in the “strike while the iron is hot” phase of his career. For him, the risk-to-reward ratio for Itauma is completely skewed.

Why Wardley is Not Having It

The “Big 3” Payday: Wardley knows that a fight with Joshua, Fury, or even Usyk (who is busy fighting kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt this May) represents a life-changing payday.

The “No Name” Factor: While UK hardcore fans are hyped about Itauma stopping Jermaine Franklin, something Joshua couldn’t do. To an American casual fan, Itauma is just a 21-year-old kid with a handful of fights.

The Ben Davison Factor: Both men are fiercely loyal to Davison. Wardley has already said they are on “separate courses” and that they both need to collect more hardware before “crossing swords” makes any sense.

If Wardley beats Daniel Dubois on May 9, he’ll be faced with a brutal choice of fighting Itauma in a dangerous, low-money fight or vacating his WBO title. Without his title, his chase of the ‘Big 3’ could prove to be more difficult.