“Can I stop Filip Hrgovic? You know what? He says he’s an animal. I’m going to Jack him. I reckon I can Jack him,” Itauma told Queensberry Promotions.
“Jack” is British slang for quit or give up.
The heavyweight clash will headline Queensberry Promotions’ August 29 card at London’s O2 Arena. Hrgovic enters the fight having stopped Dave Allen, while Itauma is coming off a dominant fifth-round knockout of Jermaine Franklin in March. The competition is widely regarded as the toughest test of the unbeaten 21-year-old’s professional career.
Itauma also questioned Hrgovic’s pre-fight bravado, suggesting that the Croatian’s demeanor changes when they are together in person.
“The thing is, he doesn’t have that energy when I’m with him, and he doesn’t have the energy when we’re face to face,” Itauma said. “He just suddenly leaves the room, and he has confidence.”
Although both heavyweights exchanged verbal shots this week, Itauma indicated he has no interest in putting the rivalry behind them once the fight is over.
“I’m the type of person though, if I have a problem with you before a fight and we have a fight, I’m going to have a problem with you after the fight,” he said. “There are certain boundaries I don’t cross,” said Moses.
“So, if Filip Hrgovic crosses too much, there’s none of that after the fight. Just because we fought, now it’s business. There’s no handshakes.”
Their war of words added another layer of intrigue to one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights of the summer, with the winner expected to cement his position among the division’s top contenders.
