Itauma vs Balogun May 24th

if it was just a basic DAZN fight night it could be the main event.

 

Itauma is fighting an athletic (ex-NFL linebacker), 6-1, 235-40 pound southpaw who is 22-1 with a lot of knockouts. Anything could happen, Itauma's management thinks he'll win or they wouldn't have taken the fight, but he is fighting a guy who is explosive, quick and strong. It should be a good learning experience for Itauma, but it's not a fight without risk.

 

Exactly...

Knock Hrgovic out - big statement about Itauma's power (even if Hrgovic isn't hard to hit).

Failing that... Winning on points isn't impossible even with such a big step up simply because Hrgovic gas tank is so awful.

The main reason to avoid would be if they're at all concerned about Itauma's chin...
Hrgovic isn't a KO artist, but he's completely featherfisted either - he doesn't really have the power to trouble top guys who almost all have decent+ chins and/or defences (very few top fighters don't have decent both, the rest would be very good in at least one category or the other!) but below that level he's got enough to keep the gates shut.


It'd be a huge jump up for Itauma, and probably without being a particularly huge payday... If they're very, very confident he'd win then it's worth it as a slingshot into bigger fights than he's making at the moment - I just wonder whether there's a reason they're working him up through the small fry.

 

Putting things on ice and waiting for a shot worked so well for Hrgovic, of course, so I can see why they would...

Kid should be fighting and learning.

Unless they're aiming for the generation after next? Dubois is 7 years older, which is a lot, and he's likely to dominate the next generation from now.

 

I agree. I got no problem with bum-bashing as long as its steady and often, like you wrote. My problem is his promoter and fanboys are acting like he's already top dog when he hasn't done anything or fought anyone to even remotely suggest that. All his opponents would have lost in similar fashion to Torrez, yet he gets insane hype for it and Torrez gets ridiculed.
His whole career so far has been sparring stories and name-grifting. I don't like that. I've posted this before, but I think he's getting all this praise put on him prematurely, because the Brits have entirely lost control of the heavyweight division, a division they dominated with an iron fist since Post-Klitschko, and are having a hard time coping that their time is over.

 

Yea just keep this guy out there beating journeymen on undercards then progress him through tougher competition. This skipping steps for no reason is usually a bad approach in my opinion.

Also, I'll add to your post, I don't mind journeymen bashing either, but I do mind when they put prospect vs journeymen as a Mainel event or co-main. It robs the fans and the fighter

 

I like how people use the ‘ex NFL linebacker’ thing as if it’s relevant to boxing, if anything it just means he’s spent less time training boxing. Ex rugby player.

 

100% bro

 

Thats how you hone your skills, by fighting all styles as well.

 

Sounds like the new Jared Anderson or David Rodriguez.