“For this left hand, what if I go step back and counter him with my right hand when he’s digging like this? What’s going to happen then?” Hrgovic said to DAZN Boxing.
That gets to one of the unanswered questions surrounding Itauma. He has fought much the same way throughout his professional career because nobody has made him adapt.
Itauma has overwhelmed opponents with superior hand speed, power, youth and the difficulties created by his southpaw stance. Combine those advantages with carefully selected opposition, and there has been little reason for him to expand his game. What he does already works.
Hrgovic has the professional experience and extensive amateur pedigree to recognize patterns that Itauma’s previous opponents haven’t exploited. Instead of simply reacting to Itauma’s speed, he’s studying the setups, when the left hand comes, and what Itauma does before and after throwing it.
“When does this feinting? It’s not going to work with me. I’m going to stick the jab in his face with that feinting down. Boom, jab, boom, jab. And when he come with a left hand, I’m going back. Boom. Counter punch,” Hrgovic said.
The Croatian also discussed deliberately missing with his right hand before coming back with his left. He wants to give Itauma different looks and punish sequences that have worked easily against lesser opposition.
The difficulty for Itauma is that these may not be habits he can simply remove during one training camp. They are ingrained in an offensive style that has produced quick knockouts throughout his career. Itauma has been rewarded for repeating them, so there has been no competitive reason to retool.
Against Hrgovic, Itauma may have to trust the same formula again. Use his superior speed to land first, rely on his power and try to get Hrgovic out cleanly before the Croatian can begin timing those attacks and firing back.
That is where Itauma’s chin becomes part of the equation.
“We’ll see, you know, how he reacts when he got hit. I think definitely I going to hit him more definitely more than his previous opponents,” Hrgovic said.
Itauma hasn’t needed many adjustments because his competition hasn’t been good enough to force them. His professional opposition has largely consisted of limited or older heavyweights unable to overcome his physical advantages. Dillian Whyte supplied a recognizable name, but he was 37 and years removed from his best period when Itauma stopped him.
There wasn’t a deep senior amateur education before that professional matchmaking, either. Itauma won European and World Youth titles but turned professional before competing through an Olympic cycle or spending years against elite senior international heavyweights.
Hrgovic has already experienced the situations Itauma hasn’t. He’s been hurt, forced to adjust and required to continue when opponents didn’t disappear after feeling his power.
“I’ve been in trouble a lot of times. He never been in trouble. Not in his life, not in his career,” Hrgovic said.
Hrgovic doesn’t need to match Itauma’s hand speed. He needs to survive the early danger, recognize the patterns behind Itauma’s attacks and make him pay for repeating them.
Itauma has looked exceptional while fighting his fight. No opponent has been skilled or experienced enough to make him find another one. Hrgovic believes he can force that problem on him on August 29.
