Croatian heavyweight Filip Hrgovic believes he can do more than just give British prospect Moses Itauma a serious test — he thinks he can beat him.
Veteran contender Filip Hrgovic isn’t buying the fast-rising hype around Moses Itauma, saying the unbeaten British southpaw still hasn’t faced the kind of adversity that reveals what a heavyweight is really made of. In comments to The Ring, Hrgovic made clear he sees himself as the kind of opponent who could expose those unanswered questions.
For American boxing fans, that makes this more than routine prospect talk. The heavyweight division is starving for fresh matchups behind the title picture, and a fight between Hrgovic and Itauma would tell us whether Itauma is a real threat to the next tier or still a project being moved carefully.
“I’m not afraid of anyone. In my career I’ve fought a lot of southpaws — no problem. I’m not buying into the hype,” Hrgovic said.
His point is simple: the 21-year-old Itauma has looked explosive, but he hasn’t had to solve many hard rounds yet. According to Hrgovic, most of Itauma’s opponents have allowed him to dictate the pace without forcing him to answer back under real pressure.
“He’s fast, he’s good, but we’ll see what he’s like when he takes damage. When you lose, when you go down, when you get dropped, when you get hurt — that’s completely different. That develops you in a different way. It builds your mentality and your character. That’s why I think he’s still not mature yet. Itauma needs more time,” Hrgovic said.
That’s the key storyline here. Hrgovic needs to prove he’s still a meaningful player after a career that has stalled at times, while Itauma is trying to show he’s more than a highlight-reel finisher. If Itauma beats an experienced, durable heavyweight like Hrgovic, the clamor for a world-level fight will only grow. If Hrgovic wins, he instantly resets his standing in the division and throws cold water on one of boxing’s hottest prospect pushes.
Hrgovic believes he’s the man to hand Itauma that first real examination. “I definitely think I can give him a tough fight. I proved I can take a lot of punches. I have a great chin, I’m durable. I throw a lot of punches and I can definitely make it a hard fight for him. But I believe I can beat him.”
Itauma most recently stopped Jermaine Franklin with a fifth-round knockout, and if this matchup ever gets made, the first thing to watch will be whether the young contender can handle the kind of resistance he still hasn’t consistently seen.
