Could a Hrgovic victory hurt more fighters than just Moses?

Hrgoivic is a worthy contender for the IBF crown. He deserves his shot and has played his part in a vibrant division in recent years in huge fights against the likes of Daniel Dubois and Zhilei Zhang. 

Facing British level contenders such as Dave Allen, Joe Joyce, and David Adeleye, Hrgovic has been a level above, but falling shirt against Dubois exposed some frailties in the former star amateur, but those can be eradicated forever if he gets past Itauma at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday night. 

In Moses, Hrgovic is coming up against the next big thing and even though Frank Warren, the man who has expertly guided Moses to this point, will say the next fight is the most important, and it is, his plans for Moses will likely extended beyond the next five years with British boxing about to rely on the youngster with Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury seemingly in the departure lounge. 

For boxing to usually succeed, it needs fighters who crossover, and that doesn't have to be every boxer who puts on gloves, but perhaps just one standout performer who will get the sport on the back pages and in news bulletins a few times a year. 

British boxing, and the heavyweight scene, have been blessed in that regard in recent years with Joshua, Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, and Deontay Wilder propping the sport up with numerous high profile fights that delivered brilliantly at the box office, but with a new era about to get underway, fronted by Moses, a win for Hrgovic, an emphatic one too, could do long term damage for the fighter and the sport. 

That’s not to say that a Hrgovic win is a bad result. He’s paid his dues, amateur and professional, and when he steps into the ring, he produces the goods more often than not. Croatia has never had a heavyweight world champion, and boxing could receive a major boost there, but boxing has many world champions, it doesn't have many superstars and Moses is more suited despite what Hrgovic’s biggest supporters may say. 

Moses is idealy positioned to become a star

Based in Britain, Moses is in the land of stadium sellouts and after already picking up major wins against Dillian Whyte and Jermaine Franklin, one more victory against Hrgovic, the win that will give him the world title, is almost certain to make him a Wembley headliner in 2027 against someone like Dubois, Joshua, or Fury. 

That position will also open doors for sponsorship, TV appearances, pitchside appearances at the grandest Premier League games, and also fights in America. If the eyes of the world are on Moses, then they’ll also be taking in the sport of boxing and that could provide opportunities for other fighters similar to the way Canelo Alvarez received a notable boost when coming up in the Floyd Mayweather era. 

Moses has come into boxing during a golden age for heavyweights and although it may be slowly coming to an end, his recent performances suggest that he’s set for the similar glory achieved by those who went before him. 

There’s some concern within the sport that new stars are taking their time to emerge with several fighters preparing for the exit door. If Hrgovic somehow beats Moses, those worries will grow massively. 

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, August 29, only on DAZN.

For more information, pricing and to buy, click here .