Hrgovic Asks "is a Chin Important?"

A 25 year old version of Itauma might not look how you think he will, let’s see him complete 9 rounds first. What we do know is this version of Itauma didn’t beat Hrgović. Who’s to say the scarring won’t hinder his career and this not another level that he will eventually go on to reach.

People mistake this sport as a predominantly physical one, that’s not true, it’s a mental game, if he can’t overcome any mental demons this will leave him with then a 25 year old Itauma vs Hrgović goes the same way.

 

More excuses.

 

There is no proof of that whatsoever. He lost tonight and that's what we know so far. We don't even know if he'll bounce back.

 

Well said, and I think you make some excellent points. I coin it the "Homer Simpson" strategy because it's the first thing that came to mind, but you're right there appears to be more nuance to it.

 

Lol at the idea that Hrgovic had this deliberate master plan of getting hit until Itauma dropped dead from exhaustion, as if he knew the exact moment or round it would happen, or that it would happen at all. Closest thing we've seen to a gassed Itauma is 5 rounds with Franklin, and that was just him breathing with his mouth open. Plenty of Heavies are breathing with their mouth open by round 5 and can go the full 12 consistently. Did you all forget Wlad Klitschko already ?

In this fight Itauma went from "breathing heavy with mouth open" to "Holy **** this guy can't take a step without coiling like a slinky" within 1 round. He never showed a single sign it can turn so bad so quickly before. Not remotely.

Credit where credit is due to Hrgovic, especially to that specimen of a chin he has. But he did not plan this. At all. His demeanour after the win shows that as well. This was not a "just as planned" moment for him.

 

I rewatched the knockdown of Hrgovic and it wasn't even a legit knockdown imo. It was a similar back of the head cuffing/dragging palm slap Zhang took Hrgovic down with.

 

I mean, the corner advice was there for all to hear, they planned on dragging him late where he will naturally get a lot of slower. Did they expect him to be a completely spent force and the tide to change in the blink of an eye, most likely not, did they expect to get tee’d off on as badly as they did for the majority of the fight, most likely not, that’s why I say Itauma deserves a lot of credit dispite the loss because he looked a million dollars until he didn’t.

Don’t be so naive to think the gameplan wasn’t drag Moses to a place where he hasnt been before, there’s two ways you do that, you go to war or you soak up all the pressure early and take your chances late.

Hrgovics comments before the fight were simple, if he’s what you all say he is then we will find out, if he isn’t I will get to him. It’s a 12 round fight for a reason. I think Hrgović didn’t plan on letting Itauma work him over as well as he did, but he most definitely planned and banked on what started to occur in the 8th and 9th, it wasn’t a fluke result.

The worrying thing for Moses is how quickly his gas hit 0%, I don’t think even Hrgović and his team expected Moses to go from Fast to slower to slow to empty as dramatically as he did but I’m sure as hell that they planned on Moses being vulnerable late as you naturally do when you fight with so much explosion and reflex.

 

I think you're arguing against a position I didn't actually take. I did word it a bit generally so my bad, I suppose. I'm not saying Hrgovic's team didn't want to drag Itauma late or didn't expect his explosiveness to diminish. That's an obvious and sensible part of the gameplan, especially against a guy who had never been past 6.

What I don't buy is the notion that the fight unfolded according to some master plan where Hrgovic deliberately ate this level of punishment because they knew Itauma would completely empty out and they knew for sure that Hrgovic could continue taking his shots.

There's a massive difference between ''we believe he'll slow down late” and “we know he'll become so exhausted by round 8 and 9 that the fight will flip". The former is a gameplan. The latter is just wishful thinking with no basis.

TLDR: Itauma didn't lose to the plan or Hrgovic's IQ. He lost to his chin.

 

I don't think Hrgovic desired that kind of pummeling but he understood it could be required to get the job done due to the difference in speed and accuracy, he was capable of sticking in there until he could begin wearing him down and finding his own success as Itauma faded under pressure and exertion. Some fighters their plan is built around their endurance and toughness as they aren't blessed with the same gifts so they wait until the playing field is levelled before going to serious work and then the opponent finds out they are lacking in certain areas as well.