Battle of brothers!

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British-Nigerian boxers Moses Itauma and Lawrence Okolie have been ordered to face each other in a WBC heavyweight final eliminator, with the winner becoming the mandatory challenger for unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The order, made by WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán at the governing body’s annual convention in Bangkok, has raised major questions about the heavyweight division’s hierarchy, particularly regarding interim champion Agit Kabayel.

Okolie, ranked first with the WBC, and Itauma, ranked fourth, are both British-Nigerian fighters promoted by Queensberry Promotions. Both already have fights scheduled over the next two months, with Okolie set to fight in Nigeria on December 19, while Itauma is expected to face Jermaine Franklin on January 24.

The order came after trainer Joe Gallagher requested that Okolie, a two-division champion, be named mandatory challenger.

However, Sulaimán rejected the idea, saying, “We do not favour mandating fights as a protocol if (the bouts are) not of the highest possible level.”

British Boxing Board of Control head Robert Smith objected to the pairing, announcing, “That’s not going to happen. It’s sensible but not going to happen.”

This prompted Sulaimán to challenge Smith, asking, “Do you work for Queensberry? This is your opinion. You’re interfering.”

A Queensberry representative, Lee Eaton, stated it was too early to say whether Itauma and Okolie would be willing to fight each other. Despite the objections, the board approved the eliminator.

The order has particularly frustrated Kabayel, who won the interim belt by defeating Zhilei Zhang in February. The move effectively allows two other fighters to be fast-tracked in pursuit of a bout with Usyk.

Itauma’s promoter Frank Warren had previously declined an IBF final eliminator against Frank Sanchez, explaining they wanted to maintain the fighter’s top rankings with the WBO and WBA.

Okolie, a former WBC cruiserweight and bridgerweight champion, moved up to heavyweight late last year and has since defeated Hussein Muhamed and Kevin Lerena. In August, shortly after Itauma’s one-round knockout of Dillian Whyte, Okolie expressed interest in fighting his fellow countryman.

“100 per cent, (I would fight Itauma),” Okolie told Boxing News.

“If there was a time, then it would be sooner rather than later with someone like Moses. The fact is, he has been gifted since he was young, but what you don’t want to do is get (in there with) someone who is gifted and experienced. By the time that he is 25, he is going to be unbelievable. If there is a time to sneak in and ‘old man’ him, it is now.”

Peter, who has been covering sports for PUNCH for close to two years, focuses on combat sports reporting, special features and human angle stories

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