Boxing
Hrgovic plans last laugh against heavyweight sensation Itauma
Zayas vs. Ennis: Watch only on DAZN PPV - Saturday
When Filip Hrgovic broke into song while having his photo taken, it was obvious he intended to enjoy the launch day for his summer showdown with Moses Itauma.
Having never met him before, it was encouraging to see the big Croat in good spirits before talking to him. And it was obvious he’s an extremely confident man.
After singing Itauma’s name as the photographer snapped away, he followed it up with “I’ll beat this guy… I’ll beat this guy”.
Granted, that’s quite a claim when you consider his opponent on August 29 is widely touted as the future of the heavyweight division.
But when you’ve only lost once in 21 pro bouts, you can afford to be a little full of yourself — especially after dispatching the teak-tough Dave Allen inside three rounds last time out.
The one blemish on his record came against Daniel Dubois, when the fight was halted in the eighth round due to Hrgovic being cut above both eyes.
He rebounded from that defeat in 2024 with points victories over Joe Joyce and David Adeleye, before dishing out a beating to Allen until the latter’s corner threw in the towel.
That brings us to Itauma and a highly-anticipated main event at London’s O2 Arena in just under 10 weeks' time — and Hrgovic, 34, clearly fancies his chances.
With a mischievous grin on his face, he told DAZN News: “I'm gonna smash this guy and I'll become world champion soon. That's why [I’m so confident].”
After hearing that, I asked how big a challenge he believes lies ahead, whether he buys the hype around rising star Itauma and for a prediction.
Queensberry/Leigh Dawney
Before you read his answer, however, I’d suggest you take it with a pinch of salt. He said: “How big? Like Statue of Liberty… huge. His hype is like Eiffel Tower… huge.
“Stoppage. First round. First-round knockout.”
Considering ‘El Animal’ stands at 6ft 6in, I wasn’t going to question whether he seriously believed that or was just having fun at my expense, so I switched the focus back to the fight with Allen in May.
At that point, I was given the most honest answer during our brief but entertaining chat as he reflected on a memorable night at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster.
He added: “It was an amazing experience, but not for him. For him it was a s--t experience. For myself, it was nice.
“I didn't expect that [to win as quickly]. I thought it's gonna go in deeper, deeper water.”
All jokes aside, in my humble opinion it’s a safe bet that Hrgovic is in for a far tougher time when he locks horns with Itauma.
Of course, anything can happen in heavyweight boxing and it only takes one big punch to change things.
But even at the tender age of 21, it’s hard to see anyone derailing the Itauma express.
Zayas vs. Ennis - watch only on DAZN
Xander Zayas defends his WBO and WBA super-welterweight titles against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis on Saturday, June 27, exclusively live on DAZN. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Joshua vs. Prenga (July 25) and Canelo vs. M'billi (Sept 12) PPVs, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
