Rising heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma extended his unbeaten streak emphatically tonight at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, delivering a brutal second-round technical knockout against former NFL player-turned-heavyweight Mike Balogun. The win marked the 20-year-old’s eighth consecutive stoppage victory, solidifying his status as one of the division’s most exciting young talents.

With momentum on his side, Itauma is already linked with two high-profile names for his next challenge. However, one of them—Martin Bakole—has warned that the young contender may have already made a crucial mistake. Itauma was in the running to break legendary Mike Tyson’s record for being the youngest world heavyweight champion.

Despite his growing reputation, Moses Itauma has yet to capture a major title, and in doing so, has missed a golden opportunity to elevate his name on the global stage. Still, the ambition remains clear. Weeks before his latest bout, promoter Frank Warren told The Ring, “I’d do that fight in a heartbeat,” when asked about matching Itauma against Martin Bakole.

The 33-year-old was ringside for the fight tonight, so talkSport caught up with Bakole to get his thoughts on a potential fight next. “I know he’s got a good future [in] front of him, but I have a long way to go. To pick Martin Bakole’s name in his mouth is a big mistake,” Bakole said when asked whether he would welcome the potential fight.

“Frank Warren knows that I’m not his level, to be honest. So I’m looking forward to [fighting] for the whole title,” he added. “If he wants to fight me, I don’t know, fight him for what?” However, when pressed further, Bakole claimed, “I’m open to it.” It’s worth noting that Bakole suffered a 2nd round knockout loss to Joseph Parker earlier this year.

He had come in as a last-minute replacement for Daniel Dubois, who pulled out of the fight. Since then, Bakole suffered a majority draw against Efe Ajagba earlier this month in Riyadh. Regardless, despite Warren’s eagerness to match Bakole and Itauma, the 20-year-old seems to be more eager to match with the second name.

Moses Itauma looks past Martin Bakole

Ahead of tonight’s clash, Moses Itauma dismissed the idea of facing Martin Bakole anytime soon, claiming the once-feared contender has lost his edge. “Martin Bakole was a boogeyman, then he got knocked out by Joseph Parker, and it’s brought him back a bit,” Itauma said. “Then he didn’t have the best performance against Efe Ajagba, and that’s brought him back a little bit more.”

Bakole’s recent form includes a first-round loss to Parker and a draw against Ajagba, weakening his status in the division. Itauma believes a fight with Bakole offers little value right now. “If I fight Martin Bakole, that could give him a reason to top him back up, when I don’t need to be that person.” While Itauma eyes a 10-rounder next, it’s Filip Hrgovic that his team is keen on. “Hrgovic, it’s a different term,” he said, signaling serious intent for bigger challenges ahead.

With another impressive win added to his record, Moses Itauma now finds himself with a few intriguing options for a major step-up fight. The question is no longer if, but who he’ll face next. Will it be a seasoned contender like Martin Bakole, or will Filip Hrgovic rise to the challenge? Only time will tell. Who do you think should be next for Itauma?