- Hrgovic meets Dave Allen on May 16 at the Eco Power Stadium in Doncaster — DAZN
- Hrgovic's Queensberry contract names Itauma, Dubois, Wardley and Kabayel as the mandated next opponent if he wins
- Luke's pick: Hrgovic by stoppage inside 6, Itauma gets him in autumn, and Itauma sparks him
A Proper Clause, Finally
Right then. Frank Warren and Hrgovic's team have finally done the thing the heavyweight division has needed for two years — they've put a clause in the contract that forces movement. Hrgovic boxes Dave Allen on Saturday May 16 at the Eco Power Stadium in Doncaster, live on DAZN, and if Hrgovic wins his next fight has to come against one of four names: Moses Itauma, Daniel Dubois, Fabio Wardley or Agit Kabayel.
Allen is the local favourite and he'll sell the place out. Yorkshire loves him, he's a better boxer than the internet gives him credit for, and he comes to fight. But let's not beat around the bush — this is a showcase fight for Hrgovic. Hrgovic is 19-1, his only loss to Dubois in a fight he arguably should have won rounds in, and he's been frustrated by lack of movement in the division. That clause is his reward for signing a three-fight extension with Queensberry.
Itauma Is The Prize — And The Danger
Out of the four names, Itauma is the obvious one. Itauma is the prospect everyone wants, the division is terrified of, and he's sitting on a five-fight stoppage run including blowing out Jermaine Franklin in Manchester four weeks ago. He's publicly said he wants Hrgovic. Hrgovic, on the other hand, has been doing the rounds on podcasts saying "Itauma has never taken a punch in his career." That's classic veteran needle, and it sets this up perfectly.
The problem for Hrgovic is Itauma isn't a European-level campaigner. Itauma has shown a level of speed and combination punching that nobody in the top 15 heavyweights can match right now. He's 6'3", he's 21 years old, he's improving fight by fight. If Hrgovic lands the right hand in the first three rounds he can stop Itauma — he hits that hard — but if the fight goes long, Itauma's going to hand Hrgovic his second career loss and there's no coming back at Hrgovic's age.
The other three names? Dubois is unlikely — he's fighting Wardley at the Co-Op in May and won't be available until December. Wardley same story. Kabayel is the safest fight for Hrgovic stylistically — Kabayel is slow-starting, drains late, and is the one opponent in that list who Hrgovic is favoured against. If the Hrgovic camp get to pick, they'll pick Kabayel. But Itauma's people have been loud, and the money is in Itauma.
Predictions And What To Watch
I've got Hrgovic beating Allen inside six. Allen has a puncher's chance in rounds 1 and 2 if Hrgovic's head isn't in it, but Hrgovic's jab and body work wear Allen down and it's a corner stoppage or a knockdown stoppage in round 5 or 6. Allen deserves the payday and the big night.
What I actually care about is the clause. Once Hrgovic beats Allen — and he will — the next 30 days tell us whether the heavyweight division is finally unclogging or whether the usual British boxing nonsense kicks in and the fight that happens is Hrgovic-Kabayel because it's the safer contract. If Hrgovic lands Itauma in September, the winner of that is one step from a world title shot. If he fights Kabayel, the division stays stuck for another year.
My hope — and my read based on the tea-leaves — is Itauma. It's the cleanest narrative, the biggest fight commercially, and it's the one Itauma wants. Right then, we'll know within a month. Come on Frank.