Filip Hrgovic wants another fight with Moses Itauma and believes he can improve on his first performance. Whether Queensberry would approve another meeting with the heavyweight champion remains uncertain after the Croatian exposed Itauma’s difficulty sustaining his attack.
Hrgovic first needs to deal with mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez. Even if he wins, there is no assurance Itauma’s promoters will send their young heavyweight back against someone who absorbed his punches and stopped him in the ninth round on August 29.
“It was a big win and a big achievement, but I feel I can do better. I should throw more and be faster. He was countering me. He was really fast, and he put me in a little bit of insecurity, but I should have thrown more and been more aggressive. If a rematch happens, I’ll smash him,” Hrgovic told The Stomping Ground.
Hrgovic’s proposed approach has risks. Throwing more punches could increase the pressure on Itauma, but it would also give the faster heavyweight additional countering opportunities. Hrgovic needs better entries and punch selection to avoid repeating the difficulties he experienced before Itauma faded.
Queensberry faces a more consequential decision about Itauma’s development. Returning him to aging opponents who cannot withstand his early attacks might restore confidence, but quick knockouts would offer little evidence that he has learned to pace himself.
Itauma entered the Hrgovic fight with just 31 professional rounds. His matchmaking had given him limited experience of opponents remaining dangerous after surviving his opening assault. Another series of short fights would leave that question unanswered.
He needs opponents capable of extending him and making him work through rounds without an immediate finish. That would give his team a better measure of his progress before considering another Hrgovic fight.
Waiting alone will not solve the problem. Itauma cannot assume his exceptional hand speed will remain unchanged throughout his career, and maintaining his conditioning as his body develops will require discipline.
Queensberry can rebuild his confidence through favorable matchmaking. Preparing him to beat Hrgovic requires something more demanding: fights that test whether he can remain effective when an opponent refuses to go away.