Don Charles Says Itauma's Speed Will Be Too Much for Hrgovic

Don Charles doesn't see this one going the distance in Filip Hrgovic's favour. Daniel Dubois' head coach told BoxNation that Moses Itauma — 21 years old, 14-0 with 12 stoppages — will simply be too fast and too accurate for the 34-year-old Croatian when the pair meet at London's O2 Arena on August 29 for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

The belt opened up in June after Oleksandr Usyk (25-0) moved on, and mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez took a step-aside deal with Frank Warren rather than fight for it now. Sanchez, ranked #7 at 26-1 (19 KO), got paid and keeps a shot at the winner. So Itauma-Hrgovic is the real prize on the night.

Charles gave Hrgovic his due, calling him experienced and tough, and warning that Itauma might have to ride some turbulence because the Croatian is no pushover. But his verdict landed hard: Itauma is a sharpshooter with a high boxing IQ, and that combination of speed, freshness and ring smarts should be decisive.

The Cut Problem

There's a specific vulnerability Charles kept circling back to. Hrgovic has been cut in every fight since Dubois stopped him in the eighth round back in 2024 — a stoppage that came on cuts, no less. Charles' point was blunt: the moment anyone lands near that scar tissue, it's liable to open up again.

That's a grim scouting report for a fighter walking into the ring against someone with a 12-KO record. Itauma doesn't need to break Hrgovic down over twelve rounds if the skin does the work for him early.

Why It Still Matters

History is riding on this too. A win makes Itauma the youngest heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson beat Trevor Berbick in 1986. He showed the ceiling in March, stopping fringe contender Jermaine Franklin inside five rounds. Even so, most read Hrgovic as the stiffest test of Itauma's career so far — the kind of night that reveals whether the hype is real or just early-career momentum.