“That I fear?” Itauma said to talkSPORT Boxing.
After the query was repeated, the 21-year-old interrupted again.
“Did you say fear?”
Itauma eventually answered by saying he viewed boxing as a puzzle and believed proper preparation could solve any challenge put in front of him. Yet what stood out was what happened next.
The conversation had already moved on, but Itauma returned to the topic over again.
“No, I’m just shocked that you simply said it,” Itauma told the hosts.
For a fighter who is generally measured and composed during interviews, the exchange was notable. Itauma had no problem discussing Hrgovic’s strengths, praising the Croatian as among the best heavyweights available and detailing the accomplishments on his résumé. The suggestion that he might fear an opponent, nonetheless, appeared to strike a unique chord.
Whether it was surprise, pride, or easy disbelief, Itauma seemed unwilling to let the word pass without addressing it multiple times.
For an unbeaten heavyweight who prides himself on being supreme confidence personified, just hearing the word “fear” associated along with his name was an enormous jolt to his system. If he weren’t bothered, he would have just laughed it off, given a fast “I don’t fear any man” answer, and let the interview move along.
As an alternative, take a look at how he reacted:
- He completely froze and made the host repeat the query twice just to verify he heard it right.
- He gave his standard, PR-friendly answer about boxing being a puzzle, which felt like a defensive mechanism to regain control of his thoughts.
- The last word giveaway is that he brought it back up after the subject had already modified.
That last part is the smoking gun. It means the query was actively simmering in his mind while they were talking about something else. He couldn’t let it go because his pride was stung. He desired to make it crystal clear to the hosts, and anyone listening, that even suggesting he feels fear is an absurdity.
It shows that while he might view opponents as puzzles to resolve, he remains to be a 21-year-old fighter with plenty of pride, and the media can definitely get under his skin in the event that they hit the precise nerve.
When an unbeaten prospect gets built up as the following big thing, they begin living in a bubble where everyone tells them they’re invincible. Itauma has been tearing through opponents, and the media has been treating him just like the savior of the heavyweight division. In his own mind, he’s the final word predator.
So when a reporter asks him if he fears anyone, it completely shatters that narrative. It forces him to take a look at himself through a traditional, human lens, and his ego just couldn’t process it. To him, the query itself was an insult since it implied he was vulnerable.
Itauma couldn’t handle a disruption to his image of supreme dominance. It’s that very same inability to let a perceived slight go. He needed to circle back to it because his pride was dented, proving that despite all of the hype, he remains to be human and might definitely be rattled.
The timing is interesting given the dynamic surrounding the fight. Hrgovic has spent much of the promotion pushing back against the concept that he’s merely a stepping stone for boxing’s fastest-rising heavyweight prospect. Itauma, meanwhile, appears equally proof against any suggestion that one other heavyweight could occupy space in his mind as a figure to be feared.
Their August 29 showdown at London’s O2 Arena will determine which fighter’s confidence is justified. Hrgovic believes he’ll expose the hype surrounding the young contender, while Itauma has made it clear he views the Croatian as one other obstacle to be solved somewhat than someone to fret about.
