Carl Froch has backed heavyweight sensation Moses Itauma to “pass” his Filip Hrgovic “test” with ease, citing the unique qualities that have kept Itauma unbeaten so far.
On Saturday, 21-year-old Itauma faces Hrgovic in his toughest fight yet, but the Briton is still the favourite to emerge victorious and claim the vacant IBF heavyweight title.
Southpaw Itauma will enter the fight at London’s O2 Arena with a record of 14-0 (12 KOs), while Croatia’s Hrgovic is 20-1 (15 KOs).
Last time out, Itauma stopped Jermaine Franklin in five rounds, building on a first-round knockout of Dillian Whyte. Meanwhile, Hrgovic has bounced back from his first loss – a 2024 stoppage by Daniel Dubois – with a hat-trick of wins over Britons.
The 34-year-old outpointed Joe Joyce and David Adeleye before stopping Dave Allen in three rounds, but Froch does not expect Hrgovic to extend that streak against Itauma.
“Moses Itauma is very naturally talented,” the former super-middleweight champion told The Independent via Betpack. “The way he moves and evades shots appears to happen almost subconsciously. It is an automatic reflex.
“He is a gifted fighter with ridiculously fast hands for a heavyweight, and he has shown power at the level he has competed at so far. The obvious question is that his chin has not really been tested yet. Hrgovic should ask some of the questions that need answering.
“He will probably catch Itauma, because Hrgovic is a serious operator who gets in there to win. We saw that against Daniel Dubois and, more recently, Dave Allen. He means business.
“It is a very good step-up for Itauma and by far the biggest test of his professional career. I believe Itauma passes it with flying colours, but it is still an interesting and legitimate test.”
Itauma has been touted by many fans and pundits as a future world champion, and if he overcomes Hrgovic, he will be the youngest heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson broke the record 40 years ago.
Saturday will also mark Hrgovic’s first time fighting for a full world title; his 2024 bout with Dubois was for the interim IBF belt.
Editor’s note: A version of this article was first published on 20 July.
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