Moses Itauma has hit back at Filip Hrgovic's 'delusional' claim and admitted his upcoming rival is starting to get on his nerves. The 21-year-old is set for his first world title shot on Saturday night when he faces Hrgovic at the O2 Arena in London for the IBF heavyweight belt. A win could make him the youngest heavyweight world champion since Mike Tyson, who achieved the feat 40 years ago.
War of words intensifies
As the fight approaches, tensions have escalated between the pair. On Tuesday afternoon, Hrgovic branded his adversary 'delusional.' Hours later, Itauma responded during a media roundtable on Tuesday evening.
“I tell myself there’s nothing that this Hrgovic guy can do to get in my head but he’s starting to wind me up,” Itauma told reporters. “In an interview earlier, apparently he said I wake up and I just hug trees. He’s really starting to annoy me.”
Itauma's assessment of Hrgovic's tactics
Itauma suggested Hrgovic's trash talk stems from a lack of confidence. “In my mind if somebody’s trying to get one up on you, or trying to get in your head, it’s because they’re not confident in themselves. Obviously Hrgovic is a talker. Before fights, he’s always said certain things – like he did to [Daniel] Dubois when he said he sees big muscles but not big balls. Then you see Dubois, in his mind, is raging. So Hrgovic has always been a talker. It’s just because English ain’t his first language that people don’t pay attention.”
Hrgovic's warning about fame
The Croatian veteran had earlier stated that a win for Itauma could 'ruin' his soul. “I just think he's a kid. He's unexperienced. He's just a young man. I think for him, it would be the best to lose this fight because it's going to ruin him, winning the world title. He's already in the clouds, above the ground. He's already delusional. And I think it can ruin someone who's not ready for that kind of fame, that kind of money.”
“It can ruin your soul, it can make you lose yourself and we've seen a lot of superstars and famous people who have lost themselves. They just lost in that crazy world of fame and money. I think he's not ready for that. I think for him, it would be the best to lose this fight, to be honest with you, to save his soul.”
Itauma's response
Itauma acknowledged the pressure of fame but rejected the idea that losing would be better for him. “Although it’s been annoying me, I hear that because I already know the level of success I’ve achieved and how I’m coping. I’ve always said I never wanted to be at Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury level because I know how annoyed I get trying to be a normal person. Now I can’t imagine being at a level of Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua. But, at the same time, if I’m going down this path, I don’t have a choice.”
“I wouldn’t say he has a point but if I win this fight it might not be good for my soul. I can hear that. But that’s not the reason why I’m just gonna go in there and not win – for the sake of my soul. That’s not a good idea,” he admitted.
