Hrgovic survived Itauma’s most dangerous attacks, forced him to keep working, and watched the younger fighter gradually empty his fuel tank. Itauma threw with maximum force far too often, failing to conserve enough energy for the second half. Once exhaustion took over, his speed, defense, and judgment disappeared together.

Some fighters are constructed for short, violent fights. Their muscles consume energy rapidly. The explosive style that makes them dangerous early becomes a liability later. Training may help Itauma distribute his effort, but it cannot guarantee that he will become a strong 12-round heavyweight.

That leaves his promoters with an uncomfortable choice. A durable opponent such as Guido Vianello would force Itauma to manage his punches, staying defensively responsible after the early rounds. It would also bring the danger of Itauma fading again if his conditioning has not changed. Matching him against someone durable like Vianello or even a disciplined operator who refuses to fold early carries real danger, but it is the only way to find out if his engine can actually be overhauled.

Postponing that reality check just guarantees that the next world-class heavyweight he faces will wait out the early blitz and do the exact same thing Hrgovic did. His team may instead select someone vulnerable enough to be removed before the questions begin. That approach can repair his record and confidence, but it only postpones the test.

Itauma does not need another opponent who makes his power look frightening. Everyone already knows he can punch. He needs someone who absorbs the early attack, makes him think, and forces him to operate while tired.

The danger is substantial, but avoiding it will not make the weakness disappear. Until Itauma succeeds against a heavyweight who takes him deep, every future title push will carry the fear that he remains a six-round fighter trapped in a 12-round division.

When a blue-chip asset gets stopped like that, the standard promotional playbook kicks in immediately: dial back the competition, find an overmatched veteran with a recognizable name who folds under fire, and stage a highlight-reel knockout within three rounds. It restores the illusion, protects the commercial investment, and buys time to rebuild the house of cards.

That approach solves nothing. Itauma spent his development feasting on sacrificial targets like Demsey McKean, Mariusz Wach, and a completely washed Dillian Whyte. None of those matchups forced him to respect return fire, set a sustainable pace, or solve problems past nine minutes. The moment he ran into Hrgovic, a seasoned professional who could absorb an explosive early flurry without disintegrating, the lack of mileage caught up to him.

Should Queensberry gamble? Absolutely. If Itauma is truly 21 with ambitions of ruling the division, he needs rounds under pressure, not soft touches. Feeding him another stationary target only reinforces the bad habits that doomed him against Hrgovic: swinging for the fences with every shot, neglecting the jab, and burning out his gas tank before the second half even starts.

Jack Catterall is watching Conor Benn turn a humiliating second-round demolition by Ryan Garcia into another multimillion-dollar lottery ticket with Chris Eubank Jr. Benn gets steamrolled, yet his marketability keeps the vault wide open.

Catterall does not sound bitter about the obvious imbalance, but nobody could blame him if he were furious. He spent years fighting Arnold Barboza Jr., Shakhram Giyasov and Josh Taylor. He collected the WBA Regular welterweight title without being handed a shortcut. Still, the biggest money flows toward hype rather than achievement.

“Conor’s a big name he’s a brilliant self promoter I don’t begrudge him getting his shot I’m sure he will fight eubank again next and make millions 👏,” said Jack Catterall on X. “Some fighters have to go the country route to a world fight I’m one of them but I’ve earned my shot and I want it next.”

That clapping emoji has the feel of sarcasm. Benn can get blasted out in Las Vegas, dust himself off, and headline another major British event because his family rivalry with Eubank sells without a belt attached.

Catterall has done everything asked of him, yet he must keep pressing his claim while WBA Super Champion Teofimo Lopez pursues more profitable opponents. It takes restraint to remain diplomatic when boxing repeatedly pays more for personality than performance. Catterall is making it clear that he will not quietly surrender the opportunity he earned.

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Last Updated on 2026/09/13 at 8:14 PM

At yesterday’s weigh-in, Conor was a full pound under, weighing 146 pounds at the commission weigh-in, which began at 9 in the morning.

Benn spoke to the media this week and talked about the difficulties of making weight: “It does feel like I’ve been through the pits of hell. It’s one of those pits of hell, and I had a fight with Satan, and God brought me back to life.”

Such a difficult weight cut can affect Conor’s performance in the ring. He may be slower, not as strong, and may run out of gas in the later rounds. Benn has seen difficult weight cuts firsthand, having fought a visibly depleted Chris Eubank Jr. in their rematch last November. Conor could suffer a similar fate against Ryan, who promises not to relent and go for blood.

“Even if he makes the weight, your brain can’t rehydrate fast enough. Them punches are going to do some real damage, and I heard his dad talk like he’s [Conor] going to knock me out. Bet you won’t, and we can bet whatever you want. Your son ain’t going to knock me out. He couldn’t even knock out Regis.”

The match against Regis Prograis was a match fought at 150 pounds, and many criticized Benn for not being more dominant against an undersized boxer who had to come up to fight at the catchweight.

In that match, Conor outlanded Regis 176 to 108 in total punches landed, stating he chose to be more technical in that match. The average landing percentage of power punches of Benn’s last seven opponents is 36.1 percent (Compubox). Increasing the probability that Garcia will land a left hook or as he demonstrated in his championship fight against Mario Barrios, a right hook instead.

Garcia is the faster, younger, and, with the weight cut, the stronger fighter. How can a fighter like Benn, with a limited amateur background and short professional experience, compete against a skillful boxer like Ryan?

The two boxers Garcia lost to were Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero, two fighters with real power behind their punches that made Ryan hesitant to engage. He did not want to trade fire with fire because of the power behind their punches. At welterweight and after a weight cut like this, Benn may not have sufficient power to deter Ryan from engaging.

In terms of overall boxing skill, Ryan holds the edge given his level of amateur experience over Conor. If he is able to land with precision and systematically break Benn down, Garcia will control the match and may potentially end it in the mid-to-late rounds by attacking the body.

Ryan has to go where Conor is weak, and that will be his body. Garcia can slow him down and make him break quicker by attacking the body from the get-go. Ryan already expects Conor to apply the pressure early, and if done strategically, he can wear him down by making him miss and land perfectly timed counters.

Garcia has been given the grand stage of boxing by headlining on Mexican Independence weekend; he must now go out and perform to expectations and defeat Benn.