Moses Itauma has spent the past three years being touted as the future of heavyweight boxing.
On Sunday morning, Australian time, the future could officially arrive.
The unbeaten 21-year-old will attempt to become the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history when he faces Croatian powerhouse Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF crown at London’s O2 Arena.
Moses v Hrgovic | Sunday August 30 from 3am AEST | Moses Itauma will seek to cement his place amid the leading heavyweight contenders when he faces Filip Hrgovic in London on August 30. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Only Mike Tyson, who was 20 years and 150 days old when he demolished Trevor Berbick in 1986, has ever won a recognised heavyweight world title at a younger age.
Yet there is another reason Aussie fight fans should be paying close attention.
Because while Itauma is attempting to establish himself as the new face of boxing’s glamour division, Australia has its own unbeaten heavyweight monster making a fast climb through the ranks.
And Teremoana Teremoana has already identified the Brit as a man he eventually wants to fight.
“I want to fight Itauma,” Teremoana told Fox Sports Australia earlier this month.
“I want to fight Hrgovic. I want to fight Dubois. I want to fight Usyk, [Agit] Kabayel. I want to fight all of these people … but obviously I’ve got to earn my way there.”
While Teremoana remains several steps away from the heavyweight top brass, Itauma is about to find out whether he already belongs there.
And against Hrgovic, he has the right bloke.
Itauma comes into the fight with a perfect 14-0 record, including 12 wins by knockout, and has needed just 31 rounds to put himself within one victory of a world heavyweight championship.
The southpaw has been fast-tracked through the division at a remarkable pace, with his combination of speed, timing and frightening power making him one of the most talked-about young fighters in all of boxing.
In March, Itauma took out former world title challenger Jermaine Franklin in just five rounds.
Now comes Hrgovic.
The 34-year-old Croatian is 20-1 with 15 knockouts, won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics and has spent years hovering around the top of the division.
His only defeat came against Daniel Dubois in 2024, when the Brit won via eighth-round stoppage after a brutal stoush in Saudi Arabia.
Hrgovic has since rebuilt, most recently stopping Dave Allen inside three rounds in May, and has promised to expose his younger opponent.
“He’s a kid. He’s inexperienced,” Hrgovic said this week.
“For him, it would be best to lose this fight because it’s going to ruin him, winning the world title.
“He’s already in the clouds. He’s already delusional.”
And Hrgovic insists it is not simply an attempt to get inside the youngster’s head.
“I’m just telling you facts, I’m not playing any games. He’s a kid, he’s not mature enough, I’m the man. No mind games,” Hrgovic said.
“God willing I’ll smash kid and send him back to high school.”
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Itauma, on the other hand, has carried himself in a completely different way to Hrgovic.
The British star is calm, composed and never gets swept up in the carnival that surrounds his fights.
Moses has made it clear that for him, Hrgovic is the focus, not the accolades that will come if he does beat the Croatian this weekend.
“I’m trying to beat Filip Hrgovic and become a world heavyweight champion,” Moses said.
“The world title is an achievement, an accolade plus one, my sole focus is Hrgovic.
“If I’m not going to beat Hrgovic, it does not matter about the title, it does not matter about the noise. My job is just to be victorious on fight night.”
While Itauma may not have been fully drawn into a war of words with Hrgovic, the 21-year-old did decide to throw a jab when it came to his thoughts on the Croatian’s comments.
“Talk is cheap, he’s got schoolboy banter.”
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Itauma was also told about the massive praise from Prince Naseem Hamed, who recently claimed the 21-year-old is already “a million times better” than Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury – and could eventually become the greatest heavyweight of all time.
Yet Itauma was quick to play down the hype.
“Obviously it’s good but when I hear things like that, I kind of have to put it to the back of my mind,” he said.
“I have such a long way to go in the sport of boxing, but of course I appreciate it from an all-time great like Prince Naseem Hamed.”
There was much less hesitation, however, when Itauma was asked how he expects this weekend to go.
“The perfect performance? It would be go a couple of rounds and finish the job,” he said.
“Same script. Different story.”
HOW TO WATCH
Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic will fight for the vacant IBF heavyweight world title at London’s O2 Arena on Sunday, August 30 (AEST).
The action will be shown live in Australia on pay-per-view via Main Event on Foxtel and Kayo Sports with coverage beginning from 3am AEST.
CARD
Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic — vacant IBF heavyweight world title
Sam Noakes vs Denys Berinchyk — lightweight
Constantin Ursu vs Ben Vaughan — welterweight
Aloys Junior vs Sherif Musah — cruiserweight
Guido Vianello vs Moses Jolly — heavyweight
Parts of this story first appeared on DAZN News and have been republished with permission.