Oleksandr Usyk’s manager Sergey Lapin believes Fabio Wardley should face Moses Itauma, with the winner facing his charge.
Wardley put himself in line for a shot at undisputed heavyweight champion, Usyk by stopping Joseph Parker on Saturday at the O2 Arena.
The WBO had already ordered Usyk to make a mandatory defence of his WBO crown against the then-interim champion, Parker, but the 38-year-old was given an extension on negotiations due to injury.
Wardley claimed the interim belt with his 11th round stoppage over Parker and called for a showdown with the masterful Ukrainian post-fight.
Should Usyk opt against facing Wardley and vacate his belt, the Ipswich man would be elevated to full WBO champion.
Lapin admits his preference would be for Wardley to face number one rated contender, Itauma with the victor then earning a shot at the 38-year-old.
“We haven’t discussed the result in detail yet, but I don’t think he was surprised,” the Ready to Fight CEO told proboxing-fans.com.
“This is boxing, especially heavyweight boxing — anything can happen.
“There are rules set by the association [the WBO] — there are no other options.
“You either vacate the title or take the mandatory defence.
“There’s nothing to invent here, everything is very clear.
“My personal opinion, it would be great to see Fabio face Itauma for the world title.
“It would be a truly exciting fight and a serious test for both before facing the big boss of boxing.
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“A matchup like that would definitely draw a lot of fan interest and clearly show who is really ready for the next step.”
Itauma and Wardley are both currently trained by Ben Davison and the former played down a potential bout between the pair.
Should Usyk opt to face Wardley, Lapin believes Wembley Stadium, which staged his July victory over Daniel Dubois, would be the perfect venue for the bout to take place at.
“At this moment, I think it can only be London,” he added.
“Wembley is the most suitable venue for a fight like this.”
