The unbeaten southpaw stopped Whyte inside a round before halting Franklin in five rounds on March 28 in Manchester, becoming the first fighter to stop the durable American.

Warren confirmed the next assignment will be another major step up.

“All I can tell you is, until the contracts are signed, it will be a top 10-ranked fighter,” Warren said to DAZN. “It’ll be a good test, another good test for him, and we’re looking forward to a sellout in London at the O2.”

The comments appear to move Daniel Dubois out of the immediate picture despite growing discussion about a future in-house Queensberry fight between the two heavyweights.

Dubois captured the WBO title after climbing off the canvas twice to stop Fabio Wardley in the 11th round last weekend. A rematch clause, coupled with the physical toll of that fight, makes an August clash with Itauma highly unlikely.

Itauma is already the WBO’s No. 1-ranked contender, placing him directly in line for a title shot once the sanctioning body officially orders a mandatory defense.

Warren had previously discussed the possibility of Itauma fighting for a world title this year, although plans shifted slightly after confirming the heavyweight contender is also expected to make his US debut before the end of 2026.

Possible opponents for the August date include several recognizable heavyweight names positioned inside different sanctioning body rankings, including Zhilei Zhang, Martin Bakole, Jarrell Miller, and Murat Gassiev.

At 21, Itauma is already being matched like an established contender rather than a developing prospect. Queensberry appears to believe the learning stage is nearly over.