Richard Torrez Jr. is preparing for a stay-busy bout against Tomas Salek on November 15 in Mexico.

And with Moses Itauma’s planned return date of December 13 falling off, the touted American heavyweight contender is making it clear that he’s ready for a clash against the British phenom.

"I won't duck any smoke. I'm here for the action, and I want that competition,” Torrez told Sky Sports. “I want to see who the best heavyweight is. Not just in the USA, not just in the UK – but in the world. That's what we're fighting for here.

"We're fighting for the entire planet. Let's see who's the baddest man. I really want that fight. I'm here, I'm ready. I think the funny thing is you see all these guys calling out Anthony Joshua, you see all these guys calling out the older guys.

"I'm out here calling out Itauma. I want that fight. Two guys that are in the prime of their careers and working hard to be someone. I think this is the spot and the time to show who's who.”

Torrez (13-0, 11 KOs) won a silver medal in the 2020 Olympics for the United States. In April, the 26-year-old, California-based southpaw notched a 10-round unanimous decision win against Guido Vianello.

Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs), a 20-year-old with an identical record to Torrez, scored the most significant win of his two-year career last time out in August by blitzing and blasting former title challenger Dillian Whyte by a first-round knockout.

"I think he does have a name for himself, and I commend that, for his promotional company moving him the way that they should,” said Torrez. “But just as he's fought a lot of guys, I've fought some pretty good guys as well. I think that they just need the right fight, and I think I could be that right fight. I really do.

"Moses has a tendency of fighting some guys that he's a lot faster than. Moses is a very fast guy. But sometimes what negates that speed is some feints and that pressure. I think that's something I bring to the table, a lot. My power with my speed as well.

"It's going to be a next-level fight. It's going to be a different style. What's going to happen in those later rounds is something different. I'm a firm believer that I'm the most-conditioned heavyweight in the game, and I'm more than willing to go out and show it. It's something that I think he has to learn about himself.

"I really believe this will be one of those megafights that we could have that would really showcase who's here to stay and who's here to be the guy."