Amir Khan says Moses Itauma should fight heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic next to give him a “step up” in competition. Both fighters got impressive wins last Saturday night at the ANB Arena in Riyadh.
Itauma’s fight against the old relic Dillian Whyte was supposed to be a step up in class, but turned out to be a dreadful mismatch. Whyte looked far older than his 37 years, and offered no resistance at all in being annihilated in one miserable round.
The U.S fans who had paid the $49.99 price to watch the event on DAZN PPV were irate because this was the fight that they had wanted to watch. It was poor entertainment for the money spent. The only good fight on the card was Hrgovic’s exciting battle against David Adeleye. He saved the day.
Itauma’s Step Up in Competition
“Hrgovic got a good win [David Adeleye]. That’s a good fight. It’s still a step up,” said Amir Khan to Boxing King Media about who Moses Itauma should fight next after his win over Dillian Whyte. “The reason I’m saying that is because you still want to build them up slowly. So, I think Hrgovic is a fantastic fight [for Itauma].”
Fighting Hrgovic is a true step up for Itauma, unlike his match against Whyte. That fight was actually a step down for Itauma from his recent wins over tomato can opponents, Mike Balogun, Mariusz Wach, and Ilja Mezencev. Dillian didn’t even try to throw punches before being torpedoed in the first round.
“They both got a good win. They both can go home, take some time off, and make a big one. If the money is right, I think 100%, he would,” said Khan when asked if Hrgovic would agree to fight Itauma.”Look, Hrgovic is still showing a bit of signs [of wear]. He’s had a lot of wars, bro. I have to remember that as well.”
Of course, Hrgovic would jump at the chance of fighting Itauma if he were offered enough money. He was asked last Saturday night if he would fight the young Moses, and he said he would.
Filip’s Cut: A Fight Barrier
Hrgovic’s cut needs to heal before he can fight again. He suffered a cut in round two against David Adeleye after getting hit with a left hook. If Queensberry is in a hurry to bring Itauma back to squeeze in two more fights before the end of the year, it wouldn’t be possible for the Hrgovic battle to happen.
“So, I’d rather him take a fight like that because he knows that if he beats him [Itauma], it’ll take him back to the top again. But if he loses, people will be like, ‘Okay, you know what? He was meant to get beat to go out on a good performance,'” said Khan,
The Win-Win for Hrgovic
It’s a win-win for Hrgovic to take a fight against Itauma if it’s offered to him. Not only would it give him a massive payday, it would give him a chance to put himself in position for a bigger fight against Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk.
With all the hype behind Itauma, there would be an immediate rematch. There’s no way that Queensberry or Turki Alalshikh would let Hrgovic move on without a second fight. If Hrgovic loses to Itauma, it’s no big deal because he fought what fans believe is the next great heavyweight. It gives him an automatic excuse.