The heavyweight division has been in total disarray ever since Oleksandr Usyk made the unprecedented move of dropping his remaining alphabet belts. That maneuver threw the entire championship landscape into chaos, opening the door for this massive showdown. If Itauma wins, at just 21 years and 8 months old, he officially becomes the second youngest heavyweight in history to win a major world title, surpassing Floyd Patterson and trailing only Iron Mike Tyson. A victory for Hrgovic, meanwhile, would represent the ultimate career redemption.
The central storyline heading into this one is a familiar one. Itauma is young, fast, and devastatingly explosive. His knockout power is unquestioned. But the two biggest questions surrounding the young prodigy continue to remain completely unanswered: his chin, and his stamina when the going gets tough. Dillian Whyte and Jermaine Franklin were both supposed to provide those answers, but Itauma blasted Whyte out in one round and became the first man to ever stop Franklin.
Hrgovic brings legitimate world-class toughness and a proven granite chin, having absorbed terrifying artillery against Big Bang Zhang, Daniel Dubois, and Joe Joyce. The problem for Hrgovic, however, is that he remains mechanical, telegraphs his big right hand, and cuts easily around the eyes once the leather starts flying. Against a razor-sharp counterpuncher with blistering hand speed like Itauma, that is an absolute nightmare matchup.
Who will win the upcoming fight between Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic?
This edition of Rummy’s Corner will contemplate the question while also providing a quick preview of the showdown between Itauma and Hrgovic. This is Rummy’s Corner (written, narrated, and produced by Geoffrey Ciani).
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