Filip Hrgovic’s head trainer Abel Sanchez spent some time giving his reaction to the weekend’s heavyweight title fight where Hrgovic rallied late to stop Moses Itauma. Here, Sanchez says the fight mostly played out had they expected, knowing that Itauma’s lack of elite level experience would come back to bite him when it came down to it. Check out some excerpts of what he had to say on the fight below.
Sanchez on what it was like watching the fight as Hrgovic’s trainer
“It was fun watching play out what we had anticipated in the gym, in training camp, what we had planned.
What was not fun was watching how good Moses Itauma hand speed was and how accurate he was with his shots early, that we couldn’t get off on him. But it was fun watching it because I knew my guy was going to eventually make him succumb to the pressure and presence of him being there.”
On if he was seriously concerned about Hrgovic at any point
“No, not at all. Moses isn’t the puncher that his earlier 14 fights signify. Moses is a quick, snappy puncher that he fought a lot of guys that didn’t belong in the ring with him, but that’s how we develop fighters. This time I think they made a mistake in taking [Hrgovic] on. But Moses could beat most of the top 10 guys or below Filip, just not this one ‘cause of his prior fights and prior performances.
“I was more concerned with him getting cuts from those good shots than him getting hurt.”
On when he got the inclination the tide was turning
“I think in about the sixth or seventh I said to him ‘okay, I see what you’re doing, let him gas out a little bit and then we’ll get on him but just I want you a little bit busier.’ I think it was the sixth. And then the seventh I said to him ‘okay, you know we’re not going to win a decision here so let’s start pressing him a little bit more, landing a couple more shots. That’s when I saw Moses’ legs start to do a little dance and so that’s when I thought this was the time to press him.”
On whether Itauma could’ve done anything different to change his fortune
“He started off too quick. That’s the amateur. But now if he starts out not as quick, just boxes him — but because of 12 knockouts in 14 fights, in his mind he wants to knock somebody out…He’s immature in his style of approaching an important fight like this.”
