‘Starting to wind me up’: Itauma rebuffs Hrgovic before world heavyweight title fight

• Itauma can become second-youngest champion after Mike Tyson

• Hrgovic claims title victory for opponent would ‘ruin his soul’

Moses Itauma has hit back at Filip Hrgovic’s taunt that he is a “delusional kid” and admitted that his Croatian rival is starting to annoy him as the two men prepare to fight for the IBF world heavyweight title on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London.

“I tell myself there’s nothing that this Hrgovic guy can do to get in my head but he’s starting to wind me up,” Itauma said on Tuesday evening. “In an interview earlier, apparently he said I wake up and I just hug trees. He’s really starting to annoy me.