Tony Bellew Names the ‘Perfect’ Next Opponent for Moses Itauma – And It’s Not Oleksandr Usyk

On August 16, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Moses Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) defeated Dillian Whyte (31-4, 21 KOs) in the first round of their heavyweight bout. It was an eye-opening performance from the 20-year-old who brutally stopped “The Body Snatcher.” Attention quickly turned to who would be next for Itauma, and Tony Bellew told esportsbets “the perfect fight” for the Slovakian-born Brit.

Moses Itauma Stops Dillian Whyte in Riyadh

Tony Bellew Names the ‘Perfect Fight’ for Itauma

Itauma soon settled against Whyte and began mixing his shots well, before landing a left hook to the temple that left Whyte on shaky legs. The 20-year-old then showed why he is regarded as an exceptional finisher, staying poised as he unleashed a vicious barrage of well-placed shots that nearly floored “The Body Snatcher.”

A right hook soon landed, sending Whyte crashing to the canvas. He somehow made it to his feet while the referee counted. He was still unsteady and stumbled back into the corner, prompting the referee to wave the fight off in Itauma’s favour.

Many people continue to discuss Itauma facing the undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Itauma vs Usyk is not something Bellew believes should happen yet, but he has named what he considers the “perfect fight” for the 20-year-old:

“The next fight for me, if I was looking after Moses Itauma, the next fight I would be looking to make would be someone in the Andy Ruiz kind of bracket. Andy Ruiz, I think is the perfect fight. And Moses would be guaranteed to get rounds out of Andy Ruiz. Because under no circumstances can Moses go into a fight with Oleksandr Usyk without going past six rounds. That cannot happen,” said Bellew.

Andy Ruiz

Andy Ruiz (35-2-1, 22 KOs) is an interesting name to put forward for Itauma. Since losing to Anthony Joshua in their 2019 rematch, he has been largely inactive, winning twice and drawing last time out against Jarrell Miller. On his day and fully fit, the “Destroyer” is a danger to any heavyweight. He carries plenty of power and has fast hands. His win over Joshua will forever be remembered as one of boxing’s biggest upsets, and if he is in shape, Ruiz could give Moses Itauma plenty to think about.