I’m not stupid, Chisora declines Itauma fight

Veteran British heavyweight Derek Chisora has ruled out a clash with rising star Moses Itauma, declaring, “I’m not that stupid.”

The 42-year-old made the comments during an appearance on the boxing debate show, Fight Your Corner, where he explained his decision to avoid a matchup with the 21-year-old, who is widely tipped for a future world title despite last month suffering the first defeat of his professional career.

“Nobody gets better. I’m not going to get in there with Moses (Itauma), am I? Definitely not with Moses. Keep your money, Frank, I don’t want it,” Chisora said, directly addressing his promoter, Frank Warren.

Chisora’s last outing was a 12-round loss to American Deontay Wilder in April 2026, following a win over Otto Wallin in February 2025, his last victory. His career record stands at 36 wins, 23 by knockout, against 14 defeats.

Itauma, born in Slovakia and raised in Chatham, Kent, holds a professional record of 14 wins, 12 by knockout, and one defeat. He is also promoted by Warren’s Queensberry Promotions and trains under Ben Davison.

The British-Nigerian prospect suffered that lone defeat on August 29, when he was stopped in the ninth round by Filip Hrgovic in a bid for the vacant IBF heavyweight title at the O2 Arena in London.

Itauma had knocked Hrgovic down in the second round and controlled large portions of the contest, but began to tire badly from the eighth round before his corner threw in the towel.

Breaking his silence on the defeat in a video posted to Instagram on August 30, Itauma insisted he remains undeterred despite the setback.

“So Saturday was not my night. We attempted greatness, and we just fell short to the more experienced man. I want to say congratulations to Filip Hrgovic on his win, and although I never reached my desired outcome, I believe I gained experience that I will take to my future fights,” he said.

Hrgovic praised his opponent afterwards, describing him as the best fighter he had faced but pointing to a gap in experience.

“He is the best fighter I have been in with, but he needs more experience; he gassed out. I knew from the first round that he would gas out and then I would push, and that is what I did,” the 34-year-old said.

Warren said Itauma had picked up a leg injury during the fight and would need to work on his ring craft before his next outing, though he backed the youngster to remain one of the most talented heavyweights in the division. Hrgovic also tipped Itauma to become a world champion in time, provided he learns to pace himself over longer distances.