Following the backlash, Cross attempted to downplay the interaction, clarifying that he was only joking and reminding the public that he and Venita share a familiar relationship, writing on X that they were not strangers and that he was merely playing with her.

Heading into the matchup with a flawless 14-0 professional record featuring 12 knockouts, the 21-year-old is coming off a stellar first-round knockout victory over former world title challenger Dillian Whyte. Born in Slovakia to a Nigerian father and a Slovak mother, Itauma relocated to Kent during his childhood and has since enjoyed a swift ascent through the heavyweight division. Should he defeat Hrgović, Itauma will make history as the second-youngest heavyweight world champion ever—trailing only Mike Tyson, who won his first title at age 20—while also securing his status as boxing’s youngest active world champion.

The pre-fight atmosphere has grown hostile, fueled by Hrgović repeatedly labeling Itauma a “kid” and casting doubt on the young contender’s depth of experience.

“I tell myself there’s nothing that this Hrgović guy can do to get in my head, but he’s starting to wind me up,” Itauma confessed, specifically noting that Hrgović’s remarks about him waking up to “hug trees” had deeply irritated him. “In my mind, if somebody’s trying to get one up on you, or trying to get in your head, it’s because they’re not confident in themselves.”

Further adding fuel to the fire, Hrgović omitted Itauma from his personal top-five heavyweight rankings, slotting Oleksandr Usyk at number one, followed by Daniel Dubois, Agit Kabayel, himself, and Tyson Fury.

“Usyk has to be considered the leader; that’s not even up for debate, and behind him are Dubois, Kabayel, me, and Fury. But I should say that I’m capable of beating any of them,” remarked Hrgović, a 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medalist.

With a record of 20 wins, one loss, and 15 knockouts, the 34-year-old Croatian believes his vast experience will tip the scales in his favor.

“I know the boxing world writes me off in this fight, like he’s the new Mike Tyson, a young kid, a young destroyer, but I believe in myself, and this is the biggest fight of my life, and it’s at the right moment,” Hrgović stated. “They hype him a lot. He definitely got talent and big qualities, and he’s a big puncher and quick heavyweight, but definitely it’s much more, in my opinion, than he deserves.”

The stakes for the bout escalated significantly after Oleksandr Usyk relinquished the IBF belt and Frank Sanchez agreed to step aside, paving the way for Itauma to challenge for a world title much sooner than anticipated. Even so, Itauma maintains that the addition of the championship belt hasn’t altered his core drive, keeping his primary focus locked on overcoming Hrgović.

“I want to beat him as much as I did before the belt was on the line. Of course, it will be an honour. I’d love to be a world champion, but it’s about Filip Hrgović himself,” Itauma concluded.