Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic: World title would earn British rising star sporting icon status, says Frank Warren
Frank Warren believes Moses Itauma can achieve sporting icon status beyond boxing if he beats Filip Hrgovic to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion in history on Saturday; the 21-year-old Brit fights for the vacant IBF title at London's O2 Arena
Wednesday 26 August 2026 12:58, UK
Moses Itauma can secure sporting icon status that transcends boxing if he completes his historic world title ascent, says Frank Warren.
Itauma fights Croatian Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight world title at London's O2 Arena on Saturday.
The undefeated 21-year-old has swept aside all those placed in front of him throughout his 14-fight career and stands on the brink of a historic victory that could shape the heavyweight division for a generation.
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Aged 21 years, eight months and one day on fight night, victory would see Itauma become Britain's youngest heavyweight world champion and the second-youngest in history behind Mike Tyson.
"I'll be very proud if that happens," Itauma's promoter Warren told Sky Sports News.
"It will be a fantastic achievement for somebody who's only had 31 professional rounds of boxing and no senior bouts as an amateur.
"He's the best young fighter at this stage of his career that I've been involved with. He's so mature, mentally and physically, as a fighter. He's got a tremendous boxing brain and he's very articulate.
"He's a very smart young man, he's got a very smart brain. He's very level-headed, very humble. But I'll tell you what, he can fight.
"If he comes through, I don't think he'd just be an icon in boxing. He'd be a sporting icon."
'Young bucks coming through'
Itauma's bout with Hrgovic has had a coming-of-age feel from the moment it was signed in June.
Its elevation to world title status, following unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk's decision to relinquish the belt, only added further significance.
Hrgovic, whose only career defeat came via a TKO loss to current WBO champion Daniel Dubois, represents a marked step up in opposition.
The 34-year-old is not only bidding to become Croatia's first heavyweight world champion but, like Itauma, has the opportunity to stake a claim in a division in transition.
"Itauma is fighting somebody who's not just coming to show up," Warren added. "He's in with a tough guy, Filip Hrgovic, a really good, tough competitor.
"Hrgovic has only been stopped because of a cut eye. Other than that, he's won all of his fights. He has 15 knockouts in his career and is a former Olympic bronze medallist.
"For him, it's all history-making as well. Where he comes from in Croatia, he'd be the first boxer to win a heavyweight title, so he wants to create history himself.
"All these fighters who are now fighting for the vacant titles are looking to jockey into position because it's an exciting time in the heavyweight division.
"The older generation, like Tyson Fury and Usyk, who didn't want to defend his titles and vacated them, are looking to do other things, so these are the young bucks coming through."
