Moses Itauma will target the IBF heavyweight title against Filip Hrgovic on August 29, with experts suggesting a stoppage win would surpass Anthony Joshua’s early championship victory over Charles Martin. Itauma faces his toughest career test against the durable Croatian.
Joshua captured his first world title in April 2016 by knocking out Charles Martin in two rounds to win the IBF belt. While the finish looked impressive on paper, Martin was hardly an established world champion. He had won the vacant belt less than three months prior when Vyacheslav Glazkov suffered a knee injury in the third round. Martin surrendered the title in his very first defense without ever beating a reigning champion.
Hrgovic represents a far stiffer test for the 21-year-old Itauma. The Croatian has established credentials, having shared the ring with elite heavyweights such as Daniel Dubois, Zhilei Zhang, and Joe Joyce. He is known for his durability, physical strength, and willingness to trade inside the pocket. While Itauma holds victories over fighters like Jermaine Franklin and Dillian Whyte, none have pushed him through the intense pressure Hrgovic can provide.
Boxing journalist Gareth A. Davies believes defeating Hrgovic by stoppage would deliver a clearer signal of elite talent than Joshua’s early title win. Speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, Davies said: “I’d like to see a stoppage of Filip Hrgovic, but if you want the major statement, that’s it. And he’s a world champion, and he’s got a stoppage. And if you compare it to Anthony Joshua winning against Charles Martin, winning the IBF title against Charles Martin, then, you know, it does have comparative values, and it’s probably a bigger performance, and it’s probably a bigger statement than that could ever have been,”
A stoppage win on August 29 would elevate Itauma far beyond the milestone of simply winning a world title belt. The victory would prove he can break down a proven contender on the global stage. Joshua flattened Martin quickly, but Itauma stopping Hrgovic would mark a superior achievement against a vastly better heavyweight.
