After comfortably beating Dave Allen, Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic has emerged as the frontrunner for a fight with Moses Itauma, who is searching for an opponent for his August fight date. Now, four-time super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch has offered his thoughts on the rumoured contest.
Itauma halted Jermaine Franklin back in March, and in his post-fight interview, he revealed that he would have liked to face Hrgovic next, seemingly disappointed that the Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist was instead scheduled to fight Allen.
However, Hrgovic outclassed Allen on Saturday night, closing the show within three rounds without hardly breaking a sweat, before unveiling that he would be willing to face Itauma in less than three months.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Froch heaped praise onto Hrgovic, believing that the away fighter did not get out of ‘second gear’ as he ran through Allen with ease.
“He boxed really well, relaxed, probably didn’t get out of second gear and he is now being touted to potential face Moses Itauma. Now that, for me, is a juicy fight because Filip Hrgovic is a good, solid, all-round, real professional boxer in a sense that he does everything correct.
“He is like a [Marquess of] Queensberry Rules standard, with that Eastern European style about him, where all of his fundamentals are solid; good jab, good balance, good head movement, he reads the shots well.”
Froch then went on to warn Itauma that his chin will be tested if he dares to take on Hrgovic in his next fight.
“Hrgovic is a force to be reckoned with. I don’t want to say that he is a stepping stone or a test before world level, but he is. If Moses Itauma can come through that fight against Hrgovic, that is going to answer a few questions that we need to find out about Itauma, if he is being dubbed as the future of heavyweight boxing.
“He is a fantastic fighter; fast hands, good combinations and highly skilful. Can he take a punch? I think that Hrgovic will test that chin because he can certainly punch a little bit, he is a big lump, a big unit. I will look forward to that one, when that one happens. Hrgovic-Itauma, let’s get ready for that!”
The O2 Arena is booked for Saturday, August 8, for Itauma’s next outing, as he headlines in London for the first time before a planned U.S. debut at the end of the year. If Hrgovic is fit and the cut he suffered against Allen won’t pose problems, the fight is ready to be made, according to promoter George Warren.