Hrgovic's taunts starting to get under my skin, says Itauma

British heavyweight boxer Moses Itauma has admitted that his opponent Filip Hrgovic's attempts to psych him out are starting to have an effect, despite his initial efforts to brush them off.

The two meet on Saturday at the O2 Arena in a bout for the IBF heavyweight world title, with 21-year-old Itauma entering as the favourite. Victory would see him become the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history, trailing only Mike Tyson.

Croatian fighter Hrgovic, who is 13 years Itauma's senior, has repeatedly tried to provoke his younger rival in the build-up, labelling him a "kid" and describing him as inexperienced.

Itauma's response

Itauma said that although he tells himself Hrgovic has no power to get inside his head, the Croatian's recent comments have started to wind him up. He referenced an interview in which Hrgovic reportedly claimed Itauma spends his mornings "hugging trees", a remark he said particularly irritated him.

Itauma suggested that attempts to intimidate an opponent usually reveal a lack of confidence in the person doing the taunting, adding that Hrgovic is simply "a talker".

For his part, Hrgovic has claimed that a loss for Itauma could have a negative impact on the young fighter's career going forward, and has said that defeat in Saturday's fight would "save his soul".