Filip Hrgovic has paid his dues, says Moses Itauma has not – will it matter this Saturday night?

Moses Itauma has not impressed Filip Hrgovic.

His opinion puts him in a minority among most boxing scribes and so-called experts.

Itauma, 21, has boxed 14 times as a professional, winning them all and scoring 12 knockouts.

Those are the facts, but look at some film, and you see a dynamic heavyweight with fast hands for a big man and athleticism. Last year, his biggest test was supposed to be former contender Dillian Whyte.

Itauma’s ring walk was longer than the fight. He showed respect for Whyte’s record, then let fly with a wicked combination of punches that wobbled Whyte. Seconds later, he went down.

Whyte got up, but he wasn’t right. His legs couldn’t hold him up. The referee waved the fight off.

The destruction had taken less than two minutes.

Before destroying Whyte, Itauma had thrown hands with Jermain Franklin Jr., whose claim to fame was lasting the distance with Anthony Joshua and Whyte.

Franklin made it to round five before running into a supercharged left uppercut.

That was that.

This Saturday, he fights Hrgovic, whom many are calling his toughest test.

Haven’t we heard that before?

They fight this Saturday at the O2 Arena in London, Eng.

Hrgovic is a legitimate heavyweight contender. He’s won 20 of 21 fights. He packs a punch, stopping 15 opponents.

His only loss came against Daniel Dubois, whom Hrgovic had accused of having a questionable heart. He also claimed to have whipped a 17-year-old Dubois in sparring, an allegation Dubois strongly denied.

In their fight, a grown-up Dubois absorbed many shots and stopped Hrgovic in eight.

One has to wonder if Hrgovic’s pre-fight words gave Dubois more motivation.

Hrgovic is talking again, this time about Itauma. His words aren’t exactly complimentary.

“If you come from Great Britain, you get everything on a plate … So, I’m not impressed,” replied Hrgovic to ESPN.com a few days ago.  “I’m impressed with my path more than him needing to do everything by myself. Why would I be impressed with Moses Itauma when I had a 10 times harder path? I’m not impressed with him.

“Work hard and shut the f— up. You’re here to work—shut the f— up. Run every day. Wake up at 6 a.m” added Hrgovic.

Hrgovic is an old-school tough guy.

He dismisses today’s training.

“He’s a modern fighter. Lifts weights, drink water, probably in the morning. Hello to the sun, breathes 10 times, then showers with cold water … Then goes to kiss a tree,” Hrgovic mocks.

“You know, bullshit.”

Itauma heard about Hrgovic’s comments and fired back.

“I don’t hug trees,” he said, grinning. “I don’t have a nutritionist. He’s going to be fighting guns with a knife. The new school always prevails.”

Fighting guns with a knife is an interesting quote.

In his brief career, Itauma has looked like the real deal. He’s faster and fresher than Hrgovic. He’s grown more confident with each victory. His hand and foot speed will probably give Hrgovic fits.

Hrgovic is thirteen years older than Itauma. 34 is not old for a heavyweight, but Hrgovic has absorbed a lot of punches and bled quite a bit. Hrgovic can punch. 15 knockouts in 20 victories. His edge is in experience. Maybe he’ll catch the kid with a big shot. But he’s also slower and has defensive flaws.

Speed kills.

Hrgovic might not be impressed, but I believe Itauma will stop him inside seven rounds.