Filip Hrgovic believes Moses Itauma has been pushed toward heavyweight stardom much more smoothly than he was, and he plans to stop the 21-year-old’s rise when they meet on August 29 at London’s O2 Arena.
Itauma is already viewed by many as the future of the heavyweight division, but Hrgovic says he has been brought in for one reason: to lose and help build the next star.
“I know why I have been invited here. I have been invited to lose,” Hrgovic said. “My job is to stop him from reaching the promised land, from becoming champion, to be the next star.”
The Croatian contender says Itauma has clear talent, speed and skills, but believes the young heavyweight still has major questions to answer. Hrgovic pointed out that Itauma has not yet been hurt, dropped or forced to prove his chin, heart and endurance at the top level.
“He definitely has skills and speed but to be a great fighter you must have heart, will, chin and endurance,” Hrgovic said. “We haven’t seen that yet.”
Hrgovic also compared their paths, saying Itauma’s rise has been heavily promoted from the start, while he had to take a harder road from a smaller boxing market. “He has been given everything on a plate when you compare his path to my path,” Hrgovic said.
Itauma rejected that idea and said Hrgovic does not know anything about his life or what he has gone through. He also made clear that the criticism will not matter once the bell rings.
“The position I’m in wasn’t given to me,” Itauma said. “The talking can’t do the fighting for him. It’s not going to change the outcome.”
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