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Weigh-in chaos in London
Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic clashed at a heated weigh-in in London, with Itauma pushing Hrgovic off the stage before Hrgovic slapped him in the face as security stepped in.
“Moses Itauma pushed Filip Hrgovic off stage before receiving a slap to the face”
The fight is set for August 29 at the O2 Arena in London for the IBF heavyweight championship of the world, after the pair weighed in at 241.7lbs for Itauma and 236.2lbs for Hrgovic.
Sky Sports said the weigh-in turned tense after Itauma pushed Hrgovic off the stage and then Hrgovic threw a slap at his British opponent's face, with both fighters weighing in lighter than their previous bouts.
BBC described the same sequence at London's Spitalfields Market, saying Itauma shoved Hrgovic in the back sending the 34-year-old off the stage before Hrgovic climbed back up and slapped the Chatham fighter in the face.
What they said after
After the scuffle, Hrgovic told DAZN, "He pushed me first so I just give him back, you know. He started it," framing the slap as a direct response.
Itauma, asked why he reacted the way he did, said, "I don't know, I just lost it a little bit. But we're here now, we're here. Let's go."
Sky Sports reported that Hrgovic then got back on stage and threw a slap as security stepped in, while the fighters traded barbs after taking to the scales.
BBC added that Itauma had refused to engage with Hrgovic's attempts to rile him during fight week but was in a fierce mood as the pair exchanged expletives during a charged face-off.
Title fight stakes rise
The weigh-in flare-up set the tone for Saturday’s world-title bout at the O2 Arena, where Itauma is bidding to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion in history.
“"He's not normally like this, Moses, but he's up for this, as you can see."”
BBC said the 21-year-old had refused to engage with Hrgovic’s attempts to rile him earlier in fight week, but after the shove and slap the incident became part of the buildup to the vacant IBF heavyweight title fight.
Promoter Frank Warren said, "He's not normally like this, Moses. He's up for this, as you can see," linking the moment to Itauma’s drive for the world heavyweight title.
With the fight approaching, Hrgovic had also been positioning himself for the matchup by telling DAZN, "I just tell him what's going to happen, I'll smash him," while Itauma insisted, "I had a little itch and I just had to scratch it."