Russ Anber: “Itauma Can Become the Heir to Usyk’s Throne and Legacy”

Russ Anber, cutman for undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, shared his thoughts on the future of his fighter — and weighed in on the possibility of a matchup against rising British prospect Moses Itauma.

“What could be Oleksandr’s next step? I don’t know. It’s a good but difficult question, because he has already made five massive paydays — twice against Joshua, twice against Fury, and in the rematch with Dubois. So going back to a fight for a purse that’s a tenth of those amounts is really tough.

I don’t know what direction he’ll choose from a business standpoint. As a champion, he’ll always have mandatory challengers who deserve their shot — that’s fair, because they want their chance at the title. I just don’t know what he’ll do.”

Speaking about Moses Itauma, Anber highlighted both the danger and the potential:

“Moses Itauma? That’s a very dangerous fight. Moses has always been dangerous. He could be the next heir to Usyk’s throne and dynasty. It’s entirely possible he’s that guy. He’s young, and we probably haven’t seen someone with this kind of energy since Mike Tyson.

If he continues to develop his skills and understands that this is a marathon, not a sprint, he has enough special qualities and potential to dominate for many years.”

Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round in July, becoming an undisputed world champion for the third time.

Moses Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) is scheduled to face Jermaine Franklin on January 24.