Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic
So, Saturday night is fight night and I've already watched an unhealthy amount of YT videos on this. Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic the young British (Slovakia and Nigerian roots) fighter vs the older huge Croatian with a famously tough chin.
Anyone who's watched Moses' earlier fights will understand the hype around this guy. He is almost supernaturally quick and skilled. There is usually a blur, then his opponent is lying down wondering what the hell just hit him. Whilst his opposition to date maybe hasn’t quite been first class, it contains a number of fighters who deserve a little respect to their name. Skills and pedigree doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference, same blur, same lying on the canvas.
In his fight against Dillian Whyte that was how it went against the experienced tough (if somewhat past his best) fellow Brit. Itauma peppered him in the first 90 seconds then finally in the closing 2nd minute, blur and Whyte was lying down. He staggered to his feet, but the ref made the only possible choice and called it off.
His next fight against the American Jermaine Franklin went until the 5th round, but the story was the same. The American was peppered with combination punches whilst he could never quite find his younger opponent. He rode some shots well, but eventually mid way into the 5th, same blur and he was lying face down on the canvas.
Hrgovic is famously tough with a granite chin. Able to take punches and to keep going. He used Brit Joe Joyce as a heavy punching bag and came out with a decision win. He beat another Brit in David Adeleye and proved there is still enough power and toughness in him to really punish his outclassed opposite corner. Dave Allan - well he's Dave Allan so lets not discuss that. Daniel Dubois got him cut and the Dr called an end to it. Going back a bit further, he was able to come through against the huge Chinese fighter with the power punch, Zhilei Zhang, despite, and this is crucial, being knocked down in the first round.
After his chin, the other observation people make about Hrgovic is that he doesnt like getting hit and has a tendency to switch off if things are not going his way.
So where does that leave us on Saturday night? A lot is being made on social media the Hrgovic is a tough challenge and Itauma may struggle to overcome his older, tough, experienced opponent. There is talk of Itauma hype, people around him talking him up, his youth and inexperience and the fact his chin has never been fully tested.
All true of course and I would hope he has someone whispering in his ear (in the manner of Romans of old) 'remember you are human' to keep him grounded. All that said - my prediction is that this goes like the Frankin fight. Itauma comes out and hits Hrgovic with his blur of punches, steps back, Hrgovic tries to counter, but never fully connects with anything. Hrgovics chin, toughness and experience means this continues for a few rounds then finally, blur and a smack on the canvas. After this perhaps things continue, but it goes nowhere, until possibly another blur and another smack or it gets called off for another reason.
Assuming I'm right and I'll admit its a big 'if'. At this point Itauma really is a scary prospect for any fighter. The old guard of Fury, Joshua and Uysk won't want that smoke. DDD might if the money is good and we'd love to see that. Other than that - I think he reigns supreme like Mike Tyson before him and then I really really hope someone is whispering in his ear!