Moses Itauma chases history as mind games heat up before Hrgovic clash at the O2
A 21-year-old from Kent stands four days away from becoming the second youngest heavyweight world champion in boxing history. Moses Itauma fights Croatia's Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, August 29, 2026, with the first bell scheduled for 5 p.m. BST and the action broadcast live on DAZN ESPN, Forbes.
Only Mike Tyson, who was 20 when he won the WBC belt in 1986, was younger. A victory for Itauma would place him second on that list, behind a name every fight fan knows BBC Sport.
The build-up has turned sharp. Hrgovic, 33, has spent the pre-fight weeks calling Itauma a "kid" and "inexperienced," and went further by suggesting that winning the title at 21 could actually damage Itauma's future. Hrgovic framed a loss as something that would "save his soul" BBC Sport, ESPN.
Itauma has fired back with the composure of a fighter who has heard it all before. Speaking on Tuesday evening, he admitted the Croatian is getting under his skin, but not in the way Hrgovic might hope. "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 said The Guardian. He also referenced an earlier interview in which Hrgovic apparently claimed Itauma "wakes up and hugs trees," a remark the 21-year-old found grating BBC Sport.
Rather than bristle, Itauma offered a cool read on the tactics. If somebody is trying to get in your head, he reasoned, it is because they are not confident in themselves. He called Hrgovic "a talker" BBC Sport.
The contrast between the two extends well beyond words. Itauma is unbeaten, a two-time National champion and Multi-Nation BoxCup winner who did not lose in 24 amateur fights Queensberry Promotions. Hrgovic, 13 years his senior, bounced back from his first career defeat against Daniel Dubois by beating Joe Joyce over 10 rounds in April Queensberry Promotions. That win put him right back in the title picture.
The belt itself is vacant, meaning neither man needs to dethrone a reigning champion to claim it. The IBF title — one of the four major sanctioning body belts in heavyweight boxing — will go to whoever wins on the night Forbes. Promoted by Queensberry Promotions and billed as a "huge heavyweight showdown," the fight headlines a card at the venue now formally known as the O2 Queensberry Promotions.
For fans, the appeal is straightforward. One fighter has youth, an unblemished record and a chance to etch his name beside Tyson. The other has experience, recent momentum and a willingness to say whatever it takes to rattle his younger opponent. Four days out, the talking is nearly done.
