British-Nigerian heavyweight contender Moses Itauma will no longer return to the ring on December 13, as his fight has been postponed to February 7 due to uncertainty surrounding the WBA’s handling of Kubrat Pulev’s title.
The 20-year-old, ranked No. 9 by The Ring, had been ordered to face Pulev, the WBA “regular” heavyweight champion, with a November 14 deadline to reach an agreement before purse bids were scheduled.
However, a day later, the IBA, which is affiliated with the WBA, announced that Pulev (32-3, 14 KOs) would instead be fighting former IBF cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev (32-2, 25 KOs) on December 12 in Dubai, issuing a press release titled “Moses Must Wait.”
According to reports, sources close to the situation believe the WBA should strip Pulev of his title if the bout with Gassiev proceeds as planned, leaving Itauma’s camp awaiting further clarification before resuming preparations.
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