Na big fight don dey set for London as Filip Hrgovic and Moses Itauma go clash for vacant IBF heavyweight world title for O2 Arena on Saturday. Hrgovic, wey be 34 years old, don dey talk plenty tori for press conference, even say im go send the young boy back to high school. But Itauma, wey be 21 years old, no dey too bother. “At the end of the day, talk is cheap. It’s schoolboy banter,” im talk.
Hrgovic, wey be Olympic bronze medallist, get only one defeat for im career, na Daniel Dubois beat am for 2024. Im don dey call Itauma “kid” many times, but im say im no dey do mind games. “I just tell you what I think. I think he’s a kid, he’s not mature enough. I think I’m the man. I’m a much better age, much more experienced. That’s it,” Hrgovic talk. Im even add say “I will smash the kid on Saturday and I’ll send him back to high school.”
But Itauma no dey fear. The Chatham boxer don stop 12 of im 14 opponents, and im get reputation for speed, power, and timing. “The perfect performance will be to go a couple of rounds and close the job. Same script, different story,” im talk. Hrgovic just laugh am, saying “We’ll see, man. No-one ever knocked me out any time in my life. I only got stopped by Dubois because of cuts and I was in terrible shape because of sickness.”
If Itauma win, im go become the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history. Na only Mike Tyson do am younger, when im win WBC title for 1986 at age 20. For British boxing, Itauma go dey second-youngest world champion, just 14 days older than ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed, wey win WBO featherweight title for 1995. But Itauma say im no dey think about records. “I’m not trying to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion of the world. I’m trying to beat Filip Hrgovic and become world heavyweight champion,” im insist.
Analysts also don yarn about the fight. Barry Jones, former WBO super-featherweight champion, talk say Itauma dey special. “He’s physically gifted but being able to use your brain is far more important. The only other heavyweight that does this today is Oleksandr Usyk.” Andy Lee, former WBO middleweight champion, talk about when Itauma come spar with Joseph Parker for Saudi Arabia. “Joseph was the top heavyweight at the time and, like all young guys coming in to spar, they try to impress and leave their mark. He certainly did that.”
Lee also talk say Hrgovic go be tough test, but im think say Itauma go handle am. “In Hrgovic, he’s got a world-rated heavyweight in front of him. Hrgovic has looked vulnerable so he could be the perfect opponent for Moses.” But im add say heavyweights dey unpredictable. “You can’t know for sure what’s going to happen. It can go so well and then, all of a sudden, everything can change and turn bad.”
The press conference happen for Studio 338 for Greenwich Peninsula, where dem dey play club music normally. Hrgovic come shirtless, fanning imself, and e dey sweat. Im make jest about Itauma earlier claim say im dey shake. “Look how much I’m sweating. Look how scared I am,” Hrgovic yarn. Itauma just dey calm, say “Me standing in front of a camera and microphone, saying what I’m going to do, doesn’t mean much. I’m not trying to engage in any back and forth. My eyes are solely on Saturday.”
Final word na from Hrgovic, wey repeat im prediction: “I’ll smash the kid, man.” Both boxers go enter ring for O2 Arena on Saturday, and the whole boxing world dey watch.
