Moses Itauma could be one victory away from another world title shot.
Itauma, a highly regarded 21-year-old prospect, took on Filip Hrgovic for the IBF belt in August.
It was Itauma's first world championship fight. After starting very strongly, he tired, unravelled and was halted by Hrgovic in nine rounds.
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Promoter Frank Warren, however, plans to bring Itauma back in a good level fight in January to set him up for another world title tilt.
"It'll be a decent fight. He's got to be in with somebody who's going to give him a test," Warren told Sky Sports.
"When you're coming off a loss any comeback fight is a risky fight. He'll be wanting to go out there with something to prove. We want to see him in with someone reasonable for the comeback fight and he wants to get back into the mix.
"He's going to have to come back and show what he's all about."
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After that Itauma will be targeting a world champion. As well as promoting Itauma, Warren represents new IBF champion Hrgovic, WBC heavyweight titlist Agit Kabayel, as well as WBO champion Daniel Dubois.
"He wants to be back in the mix so he's going to be very active next year," Warren said of Itauma. "Straight in, no messing about.
"He could fight any of them. Because if he wins he'll be straight back into, I think, the top half of the rankings."
Warren added of Itauma's defeat: "Hrgovic managed to absorb the punishment. Even when [Itauma] was blowing he was still throwing shots, even when he got caught he was still trying to fight back. He did tick some other boxes as far as I was concerned."
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Hrgovic is due to face his mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez next. That could be a homecoming fight for Hrgovic in Croatia.
"We're looking at putting him on in Croatia, we're working hard to make that happen, that's his dream," Warren said.
Mike Borao, Sanchez's manager, told Sky Sports: "Looking to make it happen in the first quarter of 2027.
"Everything is tracking well so far. Frank [Sanchez] is confident he'll win and is eager for his chance to become world champion.
"Hrgovic is elite and won't be an easy opponent, but I fully expect Frank to get the job done."
