Moses Itauma says Filip Hrgovic is beginning to get under his skin ahead of Saturday night’s IBF world heavyweight title fight at the O2 Arena in London.
The 21-year-old heavyweight said on Tuesday evening that he has tried to keep Hrgovic’s comments from affecting him, but admitted the 34-year-old is starting to wind him up. Itauma pointed to a recent remark from Hrgovic about him waking up and hugging trees, saying that the jab is becoming harder to ignore.
Itauma did not suggest the back-and-forth will change his approach on fight night. Instead, he said he is focused on going in and doing the job, even if Hrgovic’s trash talk is becoming more noticeable by the day. The issue, at least for Itauma, is not whether Hrgovic is getting a reaction. It is whether that reaction carries over once the bell rings.
Hrgovic leans into the pressure talk
Hrgovic, who has only one loss in nine years as a professional, has taken a different line. He said Itauma is still a kid, inexperienced and already being built up too quickly. In Hrgovic’s view, winning the title at such a young age could be more damaging than helpful, because fame and money can pull a fighter off course before he is ready for them.
He also suggested that Itauma is already being compared to some of the sport’s biggest names too early, saying the prospect has gone from youth level to professional and quickly become a star. Hrgovic argued that all the praise can create a false picture, even while acknowledging that he has seen plenty of fighters struggle once the spotlight grows brighter.
The exchanges add another layer to a bout that already carries real historical weight. If Itauma wins, he could become the second-youngest world heavyweight champion in history. Only Mike Tyson was younger when he won the title, which gives Saturday night’s fight an unusually significant place in the division’s recent storylines.
For Itauma, the task is simple even if the backdrop is not. He has to block out the noise, handle a veteran opponent who is trying to get a rise out of him, and prove he is ready for the moment. For Hrgovic, the message has been just as direct: the fight is as much about composure and readiness as it is about talent.
That is what makes the matchup intriguing. Itauma brings the hype and the possibility of history. Hrgovic brings experience, physicality and the belief that the young contender may still be getting ahead of himself. On Saturday night at the O2 Arena, one of those views will look much more convincing.
