Oleksandr Usyk update issued after calls for Moses Itauma fight

Oleksandr Usyk is no rush to make a decision about his future amid calls for him to defend his world titles against Moses Itauma.

Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight world champion for a second time last month when he knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley. The Ukrainian was then ordered to defend his titles against WBO mandatory Joseph Parker but has asked to delay his decision due to injury.

Last weekend, Itauma stopped Dillian Whyte in the first round, a victory which promoted Saudi Arabian boxing chief Turki Alalshikh to call for a fight between Usyk and the 20-year-old Brit. But Sergey Lapin, a key member of Usyk's team, has called for patience.

“Throughout his entire professional career, both Oleksandr Usyk and our whole team have proven that we respect all potential opponents as well as the rules that govern professional boxing," Lapin told Ready To Fight. "Over the past year and a half, Usyk has accomplished a historic achievement by becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion twice. That demanded tremendous physical and mental effort, and great sacrifice.

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"The champion has earned the chance to let his body recover from the effects of a punishing training regime and from injuries that are often invisible to the outside world. And, ultimately, simply to rest and spend time with his family. Most importantly: he has earned the right to choose his own future – and to take the time he needs to make that decision. So, guys, don’t push the horses."

Itauma himself was reluctant to call out Usyk, saying: "I don’t want to call out (undisputed world heavyweight champion) (Oleksandr) Usyk because I don’t believe I deserve the opportunity – but guys that do deserve the opportunity, I want to fight those lot.

"So maybe Agit Kabayel, maybe Joseph Parker. Maybe them type of names. (But) as of right now, I am going to rest and then maybe be back in the gym."

Tyson Fury, however, who lost twice to Usyk last year, believes Itauma is ready to take on the Ukrainian - and would beat him comfortably. "I keep getting asked about young Moses Itauma fighting Oleksandr Usyk and all the other big names," he said in a video posted to social media.

“My opinion is not someone who doesn’t know boxing. My opinion is someone who has been there and won every single belt, won everything there is to win in boxing and done very well.

"Boxing is a young man’s game, like I told Wladimir Klitschko when he was 37. Boxing is a young man’s game. It waits for nobody. So here is the opinion, and you heard it here first: Moses Itauma will wreck all them all old men out of the division. Usyk, AJ, Miller. Whoever there is that’s old. Zhang, whoever else the f*** there is. Luis Ortiz... all these big names of the past."