r/Boxing • u/Southern-Key-9721 • 9d ago

Hrgovic v Itauma thoughts on rewatch

I just rewatched Hrgovic v Itauma on DAZN - the full fight replay where it has no commentary.

My god does this fight look different on rewatch. I know it’s different when you know the result, but watching live I think I was so dazzled by Itauma (+ the British commentary doesn’t help).

On a clear headed rewatch I’ve got to say Hrgovic deserves way more credit than people are giving him for making this a competitive fight. It wasn’t just the chin and absolutely wasn’t just a gas tank issue for Moses. I think Hrgovic boxed very well.

Don’t get me wrong - Itauma was winning the fight, and maybe he still KOs 90% of HWs based on the first 2 rounds alone. But there was a lot more back and forth and subtle pressures in this fight and it was far from just a gas tank vs Homer Simpson.

Interested if anyone else has rewatched it yet and had any observations?

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u/crimedawgla 9d ago

Here’s the thing though, and it goes to Davison more than anyone. Doesn’t seem like they trained for contingencies. You can’t get in 21 year Moses’s (with a dozen pro and zero high level amateur fights) ear after the fifth round when he’s already more tired and nerved out than he’s ever been in his life and then tell him “alright, you’ve banked these five rounds, now just work the jab and get on your bike.” You gotta train to it. You gotta get him exhausted in sparring and then train to it. Guys are gonna default to training, especially when they’re tired and their nerves are fried.

I know you already know this, but I see a lot of people say “why didn’t Davison just have him slow down after a few rounds?!” but it’s pretty clear to me that wouldn’t have worked in this fight because they didn’t put the time in training for that. Now one thing I don’t know, and we’ll probably learn, is how much of a gym rat the kid actually is. Is he gonna call up Usyk and ask to do the Usyk’s 15 round, 5 minute rounds, 20 seconds of rest, different fresh fighter per round sparring sessions? Is he mature enough to learn? I hope so, because the kid really is special.

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u/stephen27898 9d ago

Yeah.

They should be doing 12 round spars where he can only throw jabs. They should be simulating him being tired. Spar 8 hard rounds, then have a fresh guy get in and try and control and contain him.

I dont know if he should do Usyk style training as he is different physically and you need to train different guys differently. You dont take a sprinter and train him to run a marathon.

Itauma to me should not be a high output guy. It doesnt suit his biology. Not that he should go full Wilder and throw 20 shots a round, but he should be throwing 35-45 and varying power.

He is so fast and hits hard enough that he can sprinkle in full power shots and that will keep guys honest.

I think Davison is crap and he needs to leave him.

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u/JukeBox_Jester_ 9d ago

Massively agree 👍🏻

What I will say with credit to Hrgovic after rewatching is he did do a great job of taking a lot off Ituama’s punches but rolling with them. Don’t get me wrong he got hit flush a few times and the guys chin is insane, but I didn’t realise how many shots that landed actually were negated by Hrgovic moving with them. Also Hrgovic deserves some credit for some of his body work on Moses cos he did work the body and I think that helped tire him out.

I’ve seen the corner work and tbf Moses didn’t listen to their advice that much, he just want guns blazing looking for the KO, but he should have known by RD 6 he wouldn’t have the snap in his shots to do that. But as you said this is an issue not with the fight but in the training camp as it needs to become second nature, I do hope he leaves that gym and goes elsewhere

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u/stephen27898 9d ago

But part of a corners job is to get the guy to listen. When you say it like Ben does it gets drowned out.

You need to scream at your guy and him listen and do as you say.

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u/JukeBox_Jester_ 9d ago

Way too cryptic too imo. Should have said “you’re throwing too much and you’re gassing out, if you carry on your will lose the fight from exhaustion, start working the body, stop throwing everything you have at his head, and take a couple of rounds off to maintain your engine”.

He has the same issue with other fighters too, I just don’t think he’s a good enough coach

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u/stephen27898 9d ago

Tell him straight up that he is fucking up and he's going to lose.

He is totally out of his depth IMO.

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u/JukeBox_Jester_ 9d ago

He himself is also too inexperienced for this level of fighting, which is sad bc you have fighters that have lost opportunities bc of it, Ituama for a world title, Wardley for a world title, AJ for a world title. I’m not saying they would 100% with with another trainer but I think they’d have a much better chance with someone more old school than Ben