Both fighters are set to feature on the upcoming Queensberry Promotions show, though their opponents remain unannounced. That vacuum of information had fuelled rumours that Itauma and Chisora could meet in the ring — a bout that would have pitted youth against experience and offered fans an intriguing domestic showdown.
Warren, however, insists the idea has been abandoned.
“There’s no chance as it stands,” the veteran promoter told The Ring. “It was explored, yes, but there were no legs in it. In an ideal world, we want them both to box on that night.”
The 20-year-old Itauma, regarded as one of Britain’s brightest heavyweight prospects, has faced mounting difficulty in securing opponents since his stunning first-round stoppage of Dillian Whyte in August. Big-name contenders such as Filip Hrgovic and Jermaine Franklin were initially considered but reportedly priced themselves out of contention.
Warren revealed that American contender Michael Hunter and British fighter David Adeleye are now leading the shortlist, while negotiations continue behind the scenes. “We thought we had it done,” he said. “What we were working on sort of fell apart, but we’re back to work on it. We want that Manchester card finalised this week.”
Matching Chisora has proved equally challenging. The 40-year-old is eyeing his 50th professional fight, a milestone that Queensberry hopes to mark with a fitting opponent, though talks have yet to yield a concrete result.
Warren also shed light on the broader complications in the heavyweight division, pointing to Oleksandr Usyk’s unified championship reign as a factor stalling matchmaking across the board.
“Never in all my time in boxing have I had difficulty matching a 20-year-old,” he admitted. “But that’s where we are. One manager even asked for $3.5 million for the fight — totally nuts. What planet are these people on?”
Despite the obstacles, Warren remains confident that both Itauma and Chisora will return to the ring in December — just not against each other. The Manchester show, he said, is expected to be confirmed “within days.”