Wardley Rules Out Itauma Fight, Focuses on Dubois

Fabio Wardley, the current WBO heavyweight champion, has dismissed the possibility of a fight with Mose Itauma, stating that their shared training environment makes such a bout impractical at this stage of their careers. Wardley is focused on defending his WBO title against Daniel Dubois in the summer.

Despite WBO representative Gustavo Olivieri indicating that Itauma could be designated as a mandatory challenger following his stoppage victory over Jermain Franklin, Wardley believes that a fight with Itauma is not feasible at this time. Wardley trains with Ben Davison and has been sparring regularly, which complicates the potential matchup.

The WBO has not set a firm timeline for when Itauma will be officially recognized as a mandatory challenger. Wardley is also looking towards facing notable names in the heavyweight division, such as Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua.

Meanwhile, Itauma is preparing for a significant fight at the O2 Arena on July 25, with his opponent yet to be announced.