“I am a prizefighter, show me the money, and I will do the job, but at the end of the day, if there is no big money involved, what is the point?” Fury told iFL TV when asked about a possible clash with Itauma. “He doesn’t have a belt, he doesn’t have nothing, what is it for?”

“I don’t need to fight f*ing kids, do you know what I mean? Listen, Moses is a good kid, he is a great boxer and everything, brilliant, but unless it’s going to be big money, why would I want to fight Moses for fk all?”

On the surface, Fury’s reasoning appears straightforward. Itauma is still building his name despite his rapid rise through the heavyweight ranks. But Fury’s reported plans for a summer return raise questions about whether money is truly the deciding factor.

Hysa does not hold a world title. He is not a mandatory challenger and lacks the profile Itauma has developed over the last year. Itauma, meanwhile, has climbed into the position of WBO mandatory challenger and has emerged as one of the division’s most discussed young contenders following stoppage victories over Dillian Whyte and Jermaine Franklin.

Fury himself has repeatedly praised the 21-year-old’s potential.

“I have had Moses in four or five camps, and he is a good kid. Good puncher, good speed, good boxing IQ, he listens, which is very important,” Fury said. “He has got speed and athleticism, he is definitely the real deal.”

If Fury ultimately returns against Hysa, it would be difficult to argue that a lack of belts or commercial appeal is the sole reason an Itauma fight fails to materialize. Hysa offers neither of those advantages.

That does not automatically mean Fury is avoiding Itauma. At 37, Fury may simply prefer lower-risk assignments while waiting for another major event against Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk to develop.

Still, if Hysa is deemed a worthwhile opponent while Itauma is not, Fury’s explanation that the younger heavyweight does not bring enough money to the table becomes far more difficult to reconcile.