Overview

• Both camps have 30 days to reach terms, with purse bids scheduled for November 14 if no agreement is finalized, according to the WBA order.
• The mandate follows Itauma’s stalled search for a December 13 opponent in Manchester, with multiple rejections and steep purse demands even as veterans like Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker voiced interest.
• The ruling could push Itauma’s next bout into January to allow time for negotiations and preparation, as reported by talkSPORT.
• Pulev, 44, is the reigning WBA ‘Regular’ champion after defeating Mahmoud Charr last year and enters the talks on a three-fight winning run since his 2022 loss to Derek Chisora.
• Itauma is 13-0 after a first-round knockout of Dillian Whyte in August, and this WBA route emerged after he declined an IBF eliminator with Frank Sanchez and Michael Hunter exited a previously slated Pulev defense.