Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgović for the vacant IBF Heavyweight title set for August 29 in London

Bet on an early stoppage favoring Itauma since the despicable Howard Foster will be the referee:

https://boxrec.com/en/event/953731/3658415

 

after the wardley dubois fight nobody knows now what can happen

 

Wardley was just as valuable, if not more, to Frank than Dubois was. It’s the opposite here. Hrgovic will need to kill Moses to get the stoppage, Ituama probably just needs a good flurry or two on the ropes.

 

Dumb move by Moses, thank god Hrgovic wasn't injured when pushed off the stage, the fight would have been off.

 

The main thing is that both fighters make a good account of themselves, and I'm sure that win or lose they'll have both done themselves proud.

It would be a smart strategy, but given the tensions in the build up don't be surprised if this turns into a blaze of glory.

Good. He needs to be engaged and angry (certainly worked for Dubios).

How this guy is still allowed near fights is beyond me...

 

It's probably nervous energy and the pressure crowding in on Itauma.

 

Itauma has a very thick neck compared to Hrgovic, which means it's very difficult to KO Itauma.

 

Although I've always preferred polite, respectful behavior, the young man deserved a proper slap here. Pushing him from behind while he was standing tall wasn't the best idea.

And what more can be said about the fight itself? Filip looks like he's put in the effort and is in really good shape. He clearly wants to be as fast as possible and be in good shape to keep up with the youngster.

I'm most hoping this will translate into the sometimes sluggish dynamics of his punches, as it would be helpful to cool Moses's impulses and land something powerful against him.

Overall, Moses should be considered the favorite. Aside from the athletic aspects, he's simply the home teammate and a rising star in heavyweight. The fight against Dubois already demonstrated how much you can support a fighter by overlooking his fouls, etc., to tip the scales in his favor. So, Filip has a double whammy. The question is whether he's smart enough to expect this and prepare for it.

I'm worried about a scenario where the slower Croatian will be severely cut up by the halfway point (he's prone to this), and thus submitted, unable to continue the fight in this condition. However, I hope I'm wrong, and even if I'm wrong, that in the few rounds before that happens, we'll see the best version of Filip, who will manage to seriously mess with Itauma's blood and deliver at least a few solid head shots.

 

Both Hrgovic and Ituama are arrogant dbags. Boxing is a sport that takes an abnormal amount of confidence to succeed in. The whole notion of a "humble" boxer is a lie.

 

The event is probably selling less than they expected and they wanted to create hype. I say Itauma by stoppage, Hrgovic is solid but slow and predictable, Moses is faster, fresher and I think he'll be the new IBF heavyweight world champion tomorrow.

 

British fighters are embarrassing hope he gets slapped out

 

Oh man, that guy still around? Along with Ian John-Lewis, these 2 are the probably the 2 worst referees I’ve ever seen, not only in a British ring but in any ring world wide.

 

On a positive side, Itauma’s chin has just passed it first test. A direct and totally unexpected slap from Hrgović and Itauma hardly budged at all. His legs didn’t buckle, eyes were clear and he was ready to strike back instantly. Reminded me of a prime Oliver McCall there the way he took that shot.

 

With that nervous energy Itauma can easily gas out, but I think it doesn't matter because Howard Foster will do the job and we will get bull**** stoppage.

 

What are people’s thoughts on Hrgovic weighing in at 236 lbs? His lightest weight in years. I think it’s a good thing, should help with his stamina and movement.

I’m going with Hrgovic on points. Is worrying that they got Howard Foster to referee tho, it’s pathetic that that guy gets any fights anymore.