Hrgovic vows to smash Itauma in rematch

New IBF heavyweight champion, Filip Hrgovic, has declared himself the best heavyweight in the world at the moment and vowed to deliver a more dominant performance if a rematch with Moses Itauma comes to pass.

Speaking to The Stomping Ground, Hrgovic reflected on the sacrifices behind his title win and the long road he travelled to reach the top of the division.

“I went through hell and a lot of sacrifice and a lot of pain, especially in my professional career. It was not only this sport, the hardest sport in the world, but also the politics.

“It was really hard for me to go through all that, but I never gave up. I never stopped believing in myself, and through all these problems and everything, I always believed I would become world champion, and I did, finally,” he said.

On watching the Itauma fight back, Hrgovic admitted he saw plenty of room for improvement and expressed a desire to fight the Briton again.

“My first thought was like, I can do better. That I was not boxing so well, that I can do better, that I can throw more, that I can be faster. And my first thought was like, I want a rematch with this guy.

“So in the end, it was a big win, a big victory and a big achievement, but I feel like I can do better. I should throw more, and I should be faster,” he said.

He also credited Itauma’s speed for giving him trouble during the contest but insisted a second meeting would end differently.

“He was countering me, he was really fast, he put me a little bit in insecurity, but I should throw more, and I should be more aggressive, and I think in a rematch, if a rematch happens, I will smash him,” he said.

Hrgovic also used the interview to question the standard of recent title reigns in the division, taking aim at how some of his rivals had obtained their belts.

“Look, Kabayel got the belt without fighting. Dubois got the belt against Fabio Wardley. Fabio Wardley got presented with a belt by fighting Parker, but he should not have won that fight, you know.

“It was, in my opinion, a big robbery, a big present for him. So right now, I think I beat the best guy in the division, and I think right now I am the best champion,” he said.

The Croatian, who holds a professional record of 21 wins and one loss with 16 knockouts, also dismissed the WBA’s decision to sanction a Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua fight for its super heavyweight title, describing it as unjustified, with both men yet to fight for a world title in years.