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Hrgovic wants Moses Itauma to fight, says coach Abel Sanchez

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Image: Eddie Hearn's Take on Who Moses Itauma Should Fight Next: Hrgovic or Parker?

Trainer Abel Sanchez says Filip Hrgovic is interested in fighting heavyweight title challenger Moses Itauma. He claims that Hrgovic (19-1, 14 KO) will be on hiatus until the end of 2025, but he is still interested in fighting the teenage 20-year-old Itauma (13-0, 11 KO).

Cut above the eye

Hrgovic suffered a deep cut above his right eye during a lopsided 10-round unanimous decision victory over David Adeleye on Aug. 16 and will need time for the injury to heal.

Too many quick KOs, too little development

Sanchez says he’s not sure Queensberry-promoted Moses Itauma is like that “goods or not” at this stage of his career. He notes that he has scored many early first-round knockouts and believes it is not good for his “development”. He says Itauma will be tested sooner or later and it would be better if he gets rounds against good heavyweights sooner.

Itauma’s last nine fights

  • KO in the first round: 6
  • KO in the second second: 3

Knocking out his opponent quickly suggests that Itauma is not being matched with the right fighters as he should have been beefed up a long time ago. Although he is 20 years elderly, he looks closer to 28. In terms of appearance, Itauma seems closer to 30 than 21. He should have already been matched with other rivals. There is no real development when he knocks out fighters so quickly.

You can only see what Itauma looked like in his last competitive fight against Stylianos Roulias. During this competition, Moses seemed stressed by the way he was taken down by aggressive pressure fighter Roulias, who showed no fear of him and was simply focused on landing as strenuous as he could when he was cornered. The way Itauma moved and held himself showed that he was uncomfortable with an opponent who was fighting for a change.

Is Moses Itauma really “good”?

“Of course, we would consider it. He is a rising star and has to take a few steps to get to the championship level. Who knows if he is suitable or not. Filip would really benefit from a fight with him. I talked to him about it and he would love to fight him,” said coach Abel Sanchez. Boxing news about Filip Hrgovic’s interest in fighting Moses Itauma.

Interestingly, Moses was selected in the same way as his older brother, Karol Itaumhowever, it was fielded only against lower-tier fighters. Like Moses, Karol scored multiple quick first-round knockouts in his first nine fights.

Lessons from the fall of Charles Itauma

When Karol Itauma stood in front of a solid journeyman, Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna, who was able to absorb his punch, was knocked out in the fifth round on January 28, 2023. It was the same identical matchmaking that had been done for Moses, and Charles looked like gold until he was thrown against a halfway decent fighter.

I’d rather he go three rounds than knock someone out in the first because of this really doesn’t say anything about his development.” Sanchez said of Itauma. “It will be tested in the future and it would be nice to see it tested along the way.”

Actual test: Frank Sanchez

The ideal opponent for Itauma to gain some experience would be Frank Sanchez, as this is a fight he could have in an IBF title eliminator to determine the mandatory for undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Itauma says Sanchez was not one of the names suggested to him. He doesn’t say why he didn’t insist on fighting him, as that would be the logical fight he would take if he wanted to improve himself further. Itauma doesn’t get much out of shooting these fighters:

  • Dillian Whyte: 37
  • Mariusz Wach: 45
  • Mike Balogun: 41
  • Dan Garber: 40

Last update: 10/10/2025

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Erik Morales Gives Fair Verdict on Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2: “Who Will Win”

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Erik Morales delivers honest verdict on Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2: “That’s who will win”

Mexican boxing legend Erik Morales, who is the same age as Floyd Mayweather, presented his version of the 49-year-old’s expected rematch with Manny Pacquiao.

The two pound-for-pound icons will face off in a professional competition on September 19, headlining the Netflix event at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

However, their second meeting seemed to be in jeopardy after Mayweather stated last month that it would be an exhibition match.

Pacquiao and his team have since stated that it will be a fully sanctioned fight, but we are still waiting for an official announcement.

Their first meeting took place in 2015 and earned Mayweather a unanimous decision victory in an event that quickly became known as the most lucrative boxing event of all time.

Shortly thereafter Pacquiao claimed he entered the welterweight fight with a shoulder injurybut he never had the opportunity to exact his revenge.

But now the 47-year-old hopes to break Mayweather’s 50-0 record after ending his nearly four-year hiatus from professional boxing last July.

But while the Filipino drew with Mario Barrios, the then-WBC welterweight champion, many suggested he and Mayweather shouldn’t be entering the ring at this stage of their lives.

One of them is Morales, who fought Pacquiao three times, winning the first meeting but losing the next two. He told Fight Hub TV that the rematch would be won by the Hall of Famer who turned down the fight the least.

“We’re not at the age to get into fights. But hey, it’ll be intriguing. Whoever arrives the least injured and a little faster, [will win]”

Ahead of any rematch with Pacquiao, Mayweather confirmed he would fight Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis on June 27.

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Deontay Wilder Manager: Joshua’s fight ‘never was’

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Image: Deontay Wilder Manager: Joshua Fight ‘Never Was’

“You can’t be disappointed with something that never happened,” Finkel told Sky Sports. “Eddie never contacted us and Joshua obviously had no intention of fighting Deontay Wilder. Same venerable story, just novel date.”

The comments question Eddie Hearn’s recent suggestions that Anthony Joshua could face Wilder ahead of his planned clash with Tyson Fury in slow 2026.

Joshua is instead scheduled to face Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Riyad, ending any immediate speculation about the long-discussed clash with Wilder.

Just a few weeks ago, Eddie Hearn was here calling Wilder a warm-up fight for Joshua’s scheduled fight with Tyson Fury. This is a solemn marketing move. This keeps the fans engaged and gives the impression that AJ is willing to take on the most risky puncher in the league just to keep himself busy.

However, Shelly Finkel’s answer is fascinating. He firmly stated that there was “no reason” to be frustrated because no real approach was ever taken. If Hearn was solemn, the first step would have been to email or call Finkel. According to Wilder’s camp, such a thing never happened.

Instead of Wilder, Joshua is now officially scheduled to face the little-known Prenga. This move serves two purposes for Joshua’s camp: It is a much safer fight as Joshua rehabs from his car accident earlier this year. It also opens the door to a massive fight with Fury in slow 2026 without the risk of Wilder ruining a payday with one right hand.

This has been a pattern for years. We saw this in 2019 when uncontested talks failed, and again in 2023 when both were on the “Day of Reckoning” card but never actually paired up.

Wilder, who recently returned to the ring after a victory over Derek Chisora, also mentioned his interest in a future fight with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Finkel’s comments suggest that Joshua’s fight remains in familiar territory, being discussed publicly but never formally pursued behind the scenes.

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Hall of Fame champion claims he would be the one to beat Terence Crawford: ‘I’m going to win’

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Hall of Fame champion says he would have been the man to beat Terence Crawford: “I’m going to win”

The star fighter, who has made an astonishing 15 defenses of his welterweight world title, supported himself in a fantastic showdown with Terence Crawford.

Many consider “Bud” to be one of the greatest welterweight champions of all time, considering his size undisputed triumph over Errol Spence Jr in 2023

He had previously won seven straight 147-pound world titles, all through stoppages, but he could only cement his position as top dog by dethroning Spence.

Not only did he defeat “The Truth” and win his three world titles, but Crawford secured a surprisingly one-sided defeat over nine rounds.

After that career-defining moment, the American became the undisputed three-division champion, moving up to 168 pounds to dethrone Canelo Alvarez.

However, at welterweight, Crawford managed to produce some of his best performances, perhaps striking the perfect balance between being vigorous and impressively fit.

Another man who has had considerable success at 147 pounds is, of course, Felix Trinidad, who reigned as the IBF world champion for almost seven years.

Two of his greatest victories came against Oscar De La Hoya and Pernell Whitaker, who both went on to create Hall of Fame careers in their own right.

It is therefore natural that “Tito” sees his chances in a direct fight with Crawford, saying: Fighting Hub TV that he would give “Bud” his only professional flaw.

“With all due respect to Crawford…Tito Trinidad – I will win.”

While no fighter has been able to answer Crawford’s mystery, it is equally safe and sound to say that the former five-division world champion has never faced someone like Trinidad.

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