2020 Olympic Silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. says he wants to fight Moses Itauma next. He states that he’s “willing and able” to fight Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) to give him the chance to prove he’s ready to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for his heavyweight belts.
Would Queensberry Risk It?
The 26-year-old Torrez Jr. (13-0, 11 KOs) would be a massive step up in class for the 20-year-old Itauma from the low-level opposition that his promoters at Queensberry have been matching him up against.
It’s doubtful that Itauma’s British promoters will risk him against a live body like Torrez Jr., because he doesn’t fit the category of fighters that they’ve been matching Moses against. He’s not in his 40s and isn’t on the downside of his career. Itauma has faced a specific type of heavyweight since turning pro. Torrez Jr. doesn’t fit the mold.
As an amateur, Moses never fought the creme de la creme from Cuba, Eastern Europe, or the U.S. Itauma quickly turned pro before facing any of the talented world amateurs that would have shown what he’s about.
Although they made a big deal about matching Itauma against Dillian Whyte in his last contest on August 16, 2025, that was another example of a gimme-level opponent fed to the highly hyped Itauma to ensure he stays unbeaten long enough to fight Usyk.
Torrez’s Resume Speaks Louder
Torrez Jr. is ranked #4 IBF, #11 WBC, and #11 WBO. Based on his resume, he should be ranked higher than Moses Itauma.
Torrez’s recent 10-round unanimous decision victory over the 2016 Olympian Guido Vianello is better than any of the wins on Itauma’s resume. The 37-year-old Whyte, who Itauma knocked out last August, is not on the same level as Vianello.
Whyte had already been knocked out in recent years by Tyson Fury in six rounds on April 23, 2022, and Alexandr Povetkin in five rounds on August 22, 2020.
“If He’s Ready for Usyk, Fight Me”
“I want that fight. I want that Itauma fight. I think that would be a great fight,” said Richard Torrez Jr. to Sean Zittel on X. “If anyone wants to know if he’s ready for Usyk or not, look at me. I’m a lefty, I have pressure, I punch a lot. If you put a baby in the ring, I’ll punch a baby.”
The power and pressure style that Torrez Jr. has going for him would be a nightmare for Moses Itauma to deal with. It would be the first fight in which he’s fought someone who can punch back since his bout with Stylianos Roulias in the amateurs in 2022.
Itauma was on his bike the entire three-round bout against Roulias, trying to escape his pressure. It was not impressive stuff from Moses, showing the flaw in his game. He doesn’t deal with unrelenting pressure well, and that’s the kind of style that Torrez Jr. brings, but with more power.
“I understand he wants those belts, but we’re both young heavyweights. We’re both active, we’re both willing and able,” said Torrez Jr. about his interest in fighting Moses Itauma.
Itauma’s List of Aging Opponents
Ideally, Queensberry should take Richard Torrez Jr. up on his offer to fight Itauma, as it would be a big fight, and it would show fans that he’s not the fake hype job that many of them believe him to be. They see Itauma being matched against these older fighters, and they’re able to connect the dots to see what his career is really all about:
- Dillian Whyte – 37
- Mike Balogun – 41
- Dan Garber – 40
- Mariusz Wach – 45
“I don’t think he will duck that fight. I’m not going to duck that fight. I would love that fight. Let’s put some action together. I know the UK fans are amazing fight fans. The USA will definitely get behind me as well. I say that’s a great fight that I want to make happen,” said Torrez Jr.
