Boxing
British cult hero joins Itauma 'hype train' as unbeaten star chases world title
Moses vs. Hrgovic: Only on DAZN PPV – TOMORROW
Dave Allen is backing “s—t hot” Moses Itauma to chin Filip Hrgovic and win the IBF world heavyweight title on Saturday.
The British cult hero saw his big night at Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium ruined by the Croatian in May, when he was stopped inside three rounds.
Allen’s corner threw in the towel to save him from sustained punishment that evening — but he reckons it will be a different story when Hrgovic collides with 21-year-old Moses at London’s O2 Arena.
“He hammered me,” Allen said on his YouTube channel. “He’s big, he’s strong, he’s active and he lets his hands go.
“I didn’t think he was a massive puncher, but he’s not a non-puncher. I saw everything coming because he put me straight in a defensive mode. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t even thinking about hitting him back.
'This is the biggest fight of my life'
Hrgovic prepares to 'destroy' Moses in world title fight
BUY NOW: Watch Itauma vs. Hrgovic exclusively on DAZN PPV & Ultimate Tier
“Moses isn’t going to go into his shell early and try to ride it out. I imagine he’ll feint and go. He’ll make him miss and he’ll go again.
“Hrgovic throws some very awkward shots from awkward angles. A lot of them come flying round the back of the head.
“He f—king hammered me. I’m not here to make excuses about myself — I’m fuming about it still.
“He’s a brilliant fighter. A world-class big fella who pushed Daniel Dubois all the way.
“He’s not the fastest. When I boxed him, I could make him miss. He hasn’t got the fastest hands, but he lets them go.
Queensberry/Leigh Dawney
“I’m on the Moses hype train. I think he’s s—t hot. Fast hands, power, movement, speed, accuracy. He’s frightening.
“Everything he’s done has been great, but I do think Hrgovic is a massive step up. We haven’t seen him hit back yet, but that’s a good thing.
“I’d love for him to be a superstar. That’s what we need for British boxing to flourish.”
Hrgovic, 34, is undoubtedly the toughest test yet for a man tipped to dominate boxing’s blue-riband division for years to come.
But the undefeated heavy hitter from Kent is expected to come through with flying colours.
Allen added: “Saturday is a proper test for Moses. Filip is being underestimated, definitely.
“He’s been a pro nearly nine years, before that he won an Olympic bronze medal, so he’s got a hell of a lot of experience.
“I can’t see this fight going past three rounds. I think it’ll go really early.
“Moses, for me, is the favourite. The main two things I see are the speed difference and Hrgovic cutting up.
“Moses is going to hit him, there’s no two ways about it. He’s going to have success.
Queensberry/Leigh Dawney
“People say Hrgovic has got a great chin. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a hard fella, but if Moses hits him on the chin he’s going to go over. That’s just how it is.
“Is Hrgovic going to hit him back? I know he’ll f—king try!
“When you look through Moses’ record, no one’s really had a go at him yet.
“I give Hrgovic two or three rounds to get the job done. If not, his face is going to be an absolute mess.
“If I was betting on the fight I’d go for it to be done inside three. I edge towards Moses doing it.
“I would like a young heavyweight superstar, so I hope Moses wins. Hrgovic ain’t coming to make up the numbers, so it’s going to be very interesting. We’ll find out on Saturday.”
Moses vs. Hrgovic - exclusively on DAZN PPV
Watch Moses Itauma attempt to become the youngest world heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson against Filip Hrgovic on Saturday night, only on DAZN.
Buy as a one-off PPV or included along with Garcia vs. Benn (Sept 12, UK only) and Canelo vs. Mbilli (Oct 31) PPVs with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
