Moses Itauma is already being crowned as the heavyweight division’s next king without Filip Hrgovic having thrown a punch. Gareth A. Davies and Spencer Oliver are among those talking as though victory is already guaranteed for Itauma, who is only 21.
Oliver highlighted Itauma’s 31 professional rounds before his first world title fight, compared with 74 for Mike Tyson and 101 for Muhammad Ali. That statistic was presented as proof of exceptional development. It can just as easily reveal how little Itauma has been tested.
The unanswered question is not how quickly Itauma can destroy an overmatched opponent. It is what happens after a powerful heavyweight lands cleanly more than once.
Jermaine Franklin staggered Itauma with a punch during their recent fight. Itauma recovered and won, but that moment deserves more attention now that he is facing a bigger puncher. Hrgovic will have several rounds to reach the same target if he survives the opening attack.
His reaction when opponents throw back also raises suspicion. Itauma readily retreats under fire and uses his legs to escape exchanges rather than remaining close enough to answer. Movement alone does not confirm that a fighter has a fragile chin, but heavyweights who go to great lengths to avoid contact often know something about their punch resistance that the public has not yet discovered.
Hrgovic is slow and defensively vulnerable, but he is physically strong enough to expose that weakness if it exists. He went 12 rounds with Zhilei Zhang and absorbed Daniel Dubois’ power until cuts caused the stoppage. Itauma has never dealt with that kind of sustained resistance.
“I think Hrgovic is very tough. Hits very hard. We may see Moses take some heavy shots in this fight, but I just think he’s got the speed and the power to dismantle Hrgovic,” Oliver said to talkSPORT Boxing. “I’m going to go between rounds eight and ten.”
Davies then declared that the “Moses Itauma era” will begin with an IBF title victory. That coronation ignores everything the Hrgovic fight is supposed to determine.
A destructive win would justify every prediction. Until Itauma shows that he can take repeated heavyweight punches without backing away or losing control, declaring him the division’s next ruler is promotional excitement disguised as certainty.
Simon Jordan Predicts Moses Itauma Will Crush Filip Hrgovic
Simon Jordan predicts Moses Itauma will stop Filip Hrgovic inside four rounds on Saturday, describing the 21-year-old as the heavyweight who may dominate the next generation.
That confidence supports Hrgovic’s claim that he was handpicked to lose. Itauma is already being treated as the coming champion, with Hrgovic assigned the role of a vulnerable name who suits the promotion.
“I think, with respect to Filip Hrgovic, that Moses Itauma is going to go through him early in the fight. I think he’s going to knock him out inside four rounds,” Jordan said on talkSPORT. “I think you’re going to see the crowning of the next heavyweight champion of the world that potentially could preside over the division for a significant period of time.”
Jordan compared Itauma’s menace and ability with Mike Tyson, although he conceded that the prospect “hasn’t really beaten anyone yet.” He dismissed Jermaine Franklin as a durability opponent and described Dillian Whyte as a faded version of the fighter who once met Anthony Joshua.
Hrgovic is therefore being asked to validate a conclusion that has already been reached. Itauma’s chin remains untested, but Jordan still treated an early knockout as almost inevitable.
That is precisely why Hrgovic understands his role. Queensberry did not choose him because it sees him as the division’s most dangerous contender. His ranking, established name and visible weaknesses make him valuable as the fighter Itauma is supposed to destroy.
Filip Hrgovic Knows He Was Handpicked To Lose
Filip Hrgovic knows why Queensberry selected him to fight Moses Itauma. He is an established 34-year-old heavyweight with enough credibility to make Itauma’s vacant IBF title win look important, but enough visible flaws to make the risk acceptable.
This is not neutral matchmaking. Queensberry has invested heavily in Itauma and wants to crown him as Britain’s next heavyweight star on August 29 at London’s O2 Arena. Hrgovic has been brought in to supply the name, the Olympic medal and the illusion of danger.
“The whole world underestimated me. Everyone thinks I am just another step for him to become a champion. He is the star. Everyone wants me, and they invited me there to lose. I am aware of that,” Hrgovic said in a DAZN Boxing training feature. “They want to build him. He should be the new star. He is the guy the whole world is talking about, but plans can change quickly in the ring.”
The Croatian has read the situation correctly. He was not chosen despite looking flawed against Zhilei Zhang, Daniel Dubois and David Adeleye. He was chosen because of it.
If Hrgovic had steamrolled those three heavyweights, there is virtually no chance Queensberry would place Itauma in the ring with him. A dominant, physically imposing Hrgovic would be far too dangerous for a 21-year-old who has never completed seven professional rounds.
The pattern surfaced against Zhang in 2022. He hurt Hrgovic, forced him backward and came close to getting the decision. Dubois later applied sustained pressure, repeatedly found him with power punches and stopped him on cuts.
Another warning followed against Adeleye last August when he nearly finished Hrgovic during the eighth round. Hrgovic had just dropped him, yet seconds later he was trapped against the ropes, taking clean punches and looking ready to go.
That fight probably completed Queensberry’s evaluation. Adeleye is a domestic-level heavyweight who had already been knocked out by Fabio Wardley. If he could place Hrgovic in that condition, the people guiding Itauma had every reason to believe their faster and more powerful fighter could do worse.
Those performances are the reason this fight is taking place. Hrgovic retains enough name value for an Itauma victory to mean something, but his weaknesses are visible enough for Queensberry to believe it knows the outcome.
There is still one part of the plan that has not been tested. Itauma’s last five opponents survived a combined six rounds. Smashing stationary heavyweights early has told us little about how he reacts when someone survives, leans on him and forces him to work.
Starting quickly and testing Itauma immediately is Hrgovic’s plan. That may put him directly in range of the younger fighter’s best punches, but cautiously surrendering rounds in London would be no better.
The intended result is obvious. Hrgovic is there to become Itauma’s first important knockout victim. His opportunity lies in surviving long enough to turn a carefully arranged coronation into a real fight.
