“Look how scared I am, I am so scared,” Filip Hrgovic said, shaking his hands to emulate a quiver, and stretching his face into a Home Alone poster-esque expression. The thing is, he probably should be scared.
That’s not to say he should be scared of Moses Itauma specifically, although Itauma has compiled considerable, compelling evidence as to why one would fear him; rather, Hrgovic’s cause for concern is the broader dynamic he has created ahead of their fight.
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Ahead of Saturday’s world heavyweight title clash, the one word he has used liberally, perhaps even haphazardly, is “kid”.
Filip Hrgovic at the final press conference for his fight with Moses Itauma (Reuters)
“It’s no offence to him, but I just saw that kid, that young man inside of him. But we were all stupid when we were young,” Hrgovic told reporters this week. “I saw that kid in his eyes, in his behaviour, and in his attitude. We’ve all been like that, but I just don’t think he’s aware of a lot of things, he’s not been through a lot of things. He’s just young.
“His head is already in the clouds, he’s already delusional, and I think it can ruin someone who’s not ready for that kind of fame, that kind of money. It can ruin your soul, it can make you lose yourself.”
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Then, at Thursday’s press conference, he threatened to send Itauma “back to high school”, before issuing his final statement before his quasi Macaulay Culkin impression: “I will smash the kid, man.”
The source of the Croatian’s jibes is Itauma’s bid to become the second-youngest world heavyweight champion ever, after Mike Tyson 40 years ago. That is the history at stake for the 21-year-old Briton, when he headlines against Hrgovic at London’s O2 Arena. And that piece of history comes entwined with the vacant IBF title.
Yet these jibes might have created two problems for Hrgovic.
Firstly, as attempts to get inside his unbeaten opponent’s head, they have not seemed very fruitful. Itauma, as ever, appears stoic and unfazed.
Secondly, Hrgovic is only exacerbating the potential Schadenfreude that would await if he were beaten by the “kid”. And from Itauma’s 14 wins and 12 knockouts, we know that he tends to win brutally.
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Of course, Hrgovic’s approach is part and parcel of promotion, a risk that any boxer undertakes knowingly. The 34-year-old even suggested he was not trying to get inside Itauma’s head. He could not play mind games, he claimed, because he is “not so smart”.
If it wasn’t so sarcastic, it would have been a self-deprecating sentiment. Either way, it was one he repeated later on. “I’m not so smart, you must explain to me. I don’t understand,” he said of comments around Itauma’s physical condition. “I’m sorry, guys, I don’t understand the British accent so well. I didn’t understand you anything. What’s he said?”
Hrgovic facing off with Moses Itauma ahead of their IBF heavyweight title fight (PA Wire)
Mind you, Hrgovic had no problem around his last four fights, all of which came against British foes – and the last three of which ended in victory for the Croatian. The first was the sole defeat of his professional career, a cut-induced stoppage by Daniel Dubois in 2024, but it gave way to points wins over Joe Joyce and David Adeleye, then a TKO of Dave Allen this May.
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“Give me some props, man,” was one of Hrgovic’s final calls at Thursday’s press conference. “We all give you props, we all respect you, and we all can’t wait for Saturday night,” he was assured by host Adam Smith.
In Hrgovic’s defence, he represents Itauma’s toughest test yet, by far. But Hrgovic will have to watch his own defence on Saturday, and it must be near-impenetrable for the veteran to survive Itauma. Still, if Hrgovic can get on the attack with the kind of volume he usually emits, he should be able to drag Itauma into deeper waters than the youngster is used to. The question is more so whether he can force Itauma under at any point.
The “kid” will wear no armbands when the Thames laps against the banks of the O2 this weekend. To borrow a cliche, it’s sink or swim.
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