Hrgovic questions Itauma’s superstar hype
The Croatian heavyweight believes Itauma still has to prove himself against elite opposition.
Filip Hrgović doesn't seem convinced by all the hype surrounding Moses Itauma, claiming that he hasn't yet proven at all that he deserves it. Ahead of their bout on August 29, Filip Hrgović sees himself as the first opponent who will truly put the young heavyweight to the test.
He spoke specifically about this in an interview with DAZN Boxing.
“I think I’m the best opponent he’s faced. I think he’s never been until now in the ring with someone like me, with that kind of experience and endurance, toughness, power. So let’s see how good he is”
he said.
Moses Itauma is often touted as a future superstar, although critics have so far questioned this, arguing that he has only secured routine victories thus far. Filip Hrgović also questions this assessment of Moses Itauma as a superstar. He remains cautious and says he is definitely not impressed by the hype surrounding him.
Moses Itauma has usually been able to dominate his opponents early on in the past and has stopped many of them without being seriously challenged. Filip Hrgović now wants to change that and push him into territory where Moses Itauma has not yet been. Filip Hrgović is no stranger to these tough fights. For example, in his fight against Daniel Dubois , where he suffered his first loss, he showed incredible resilience. If the fight goes beyond the early rounds, this could become a clear advantage for him. In the early rounds, however, Moses Itauma is also considered incredibly dangerous. He has clear advantages in speed and explosiveness, and will try to use them.
It remains to be seen whether he’ll pass this toughest test and truly become a future superstar. Filip Hrgović, however, remains skeptical about this.
Of course, the fight against Filip Hrgović is seen as a test for Moses Itauma. In my opinion, he’s still the favorite, and I also believe he’ll ultimately win. Sure, he hasn’t yet proven how strong he is in the later rounds, but I still think he can put in a solid performance there, if it even comes to that.