Starting to wind me up: Itauma rebuffs Hrgovic before world heavyweight title fight

The build-up to Saturday night’s showdown at The O2 Arena in London has drifted far beyond traditional athletic posturing. Itauma enters the ring aiming to capture the IBF title that was relinquished by Oleksandr Usyk in June when they meet at The O2 on Saturday, with knockout specialist Itauma expected to continue his rapid ascent to the summit in only his 15th fight. Yet the final week of preparation has been dominated by a peculiar psychological tug-of-war between the prospect and his veteran opponent.

Filip Hrgovic Targets Itauma’s Psyche Ahead of The O2 Clash

Hrgovic, a 34-year-old bronze medallist at the 2016 Olympics who has lost just once in a professional career stretching across nine years, has spent the week painting a picture of a young fighter hurtling toward inevitable ruin. In conversations with reporters, the Croatian contender argued that early stardom, immense wealth, and unearned adulation could fundamentally break his younger adversary.

He’s a kid. He’s inexperienced. So, for him, it would be best to lose this fight because it’s going to ruin him, winning the world title. He’s already in the clouds. He’s already delusional. And it can ruin someone who’s not ready for that kind of fame, that kind of money, Filip Hrgovic said

It can ruin your soul, it can make you lose yourself and we’ve seen a lot of superstars and famous people who have lost themselves. They’re just lost in that crazy world of fame and money. He’s not ready for that. I think, for him, it would be best to lose this fight, to save his soul. Because what does it mean to achieve everything if you lose your soul and you lose yourself? Hrgovic

Hrgovic’s only defeat was an eighth-round stoppage on cuts by Daniel Dubois in 2024 and the power-punching 34-year-old believes his experience gives him an important advantage. Drawing on a career filled with physical and mental hurdles, Hrgovic framed his own resilience as an advantage over a newcomer who has faced few obstacles on his path from youth competition straight into the professional ranks.

When I looked at Itauma I saw a kid in his eyes, in his behaviour, in his attitude, Hrgovic said. “He’s not aware of a lot of things. He’s not been through a lot of things. Everything has gone well for him. He hasn’t had any hard times. He went from youth level to professional. He had a few fights and became a star. Everyone is clapping him on his back – ‘you’re the best, you’re the next Muhammad Ali. You’re the new Mike Tyson.’ He’s just not, in reality. I’m very grateful for all the hard things I went through. It makes you a different person.”

I’m in a much different position because of that experience, and the ups and downs in my life. I’m like a rock. Stable. Nothing can move me. I don’t care about fame. I don’t care about money. I don’t care about what people think. But we’ll see on Saturday.

Moses Itauma Responds to Delusional Claims and Soul Warnings

For his part, Itauma acknowledged that his opponent’s unconventional psychological warfare had begun to irritate him, even if certain assertions struck a chord regarding the gravity of modern celebrity.

I tell myself there’s nothing that this Hrgovic guy can do to get in my head but he’s starting to wind me up, Itauma said on Tuesday evening. “In an interview earlier, apparently he said I wake up and I just hug trees. He’s really starting to annoy me. In my mind if somebody’s trying to get one up on you, or trying to get in your head, it’s because they’re not confident in themselves. Obviously Hrgovic is a talker. Before fights, he’s always said certain things – like he did to Dubois when he said he sees big muscles but not big balls. Then you see Dubois, in his mind, is raging. So Hrgovic has always been a talker. It’s just because English ain’t his first language that people don’t pay attention.”

The 21-year-old challenger admitted that while the warnings about his soul felt extreme, he understood the hazards of extreme fame. He noted that he has always actively avoided desiring the celebrity status carried by fighters like Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury, knowing how difficult it is simply to maintain a normal existence.

Although it’s been annoying me, I hear that because I already know the level of success I’ve achieved and how I’m coping, Itauma conceded. “I’ve always said I never wanted to be at Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury level because I know how annoyed I get trying to be a normal person. Now I can’t imagine being at a level of Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua. But, at the same time, if I’m going down this path, I don’t have a choice.”

I wouldn’t say he has a point, but if I win this fight it might not be good for my soul. I can hear that. But that’s not the reason why I’m just gonna go in there and not win – for the sake of my soul. That’s not a good idea.

Historic Stakes and the Road to Fight Night

Should Itauma secure a victory against the most formidable adversary of his professional career, he intends on becoming Britain’s youngest ever world heavyweight champion and will etch his name into the record books as the second-youngest world heavyweight champion in history, sitting behind Mike Tyson. Only Mike Tyson won the title at a younger age and Hrgovic noted that winning the world title could ruin someone not ready for that kind of fame and money. The sheer speed of his ascent has invited media comparisons to boxing icons, though Hrgovic maintains those labels ignore reality.

With the verbal sparring concluded, both men will settle their differences inside the ring at The O2 Arena, where the IBF belt awaits the winner.