The 20-year old from Kent has turned every supposed step into a smooth slope towards the top of the division and has done so without ever having to extend himself.

Filip Hrgovic undoubtedly possesses the skill and pedigree to provide Itauma with the toughest test yet of his credentials when they meet at London’s O2 Arena on August 29, but he will also provide him with a totally different challenge.

Hrgovic (20-1, 15 KOs) will be the first Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs) has boxed as professional who will enter the ring with an absolutely cast iron certainty that he will win and the self-assurance to say so.

From the moment the fighters were first linked, The Ring's No. 5 heavyweight drew the battle lines. He has repeatedly referred to Itauma as a “kid,” and during an episode of Answer to This for Queensberry, the Croatian made a point of questioning Itauma’s commitment and dedication to the sport.

“I didn't understand,” Hrgovic said. “I saw one of his interview when he was like 20. I think he said he was tired of boxing and that Ben Davison [his trainer] gave him a new desire for boxing.

“One question for Moses, for my young friend. How did you get tired of boxing at 20 years? So he was boxing for like what six, five, seven years?

“So how you get tired of boxing at 20 because I'm 34 and still like boxing. I like to train, to spar, to run. How you get tired at 20?”

Hrgovic has spent the majority of his life in boxing gyms and, at the fight’s launch press conference said that the path Itauma has had laid out for him to the top of the heavyweight division bears absolutely no resemblance to the route he had to walk.

His observations are borne from experience, and based on what Itauma is doing — and how he is doing it — isn’t normal.

Hrgovic is a supremely confident, clever character and, whether it is deliberate or not, his way of speaking and method of delivery seem to irritate his opponents just as much as the point he is trying to get across.

Given the expectation he has shouldered from such a young age, Itauma remains as laid back and calm a character who can be found in professional boxing. Although The Ring’s No. 6 heavyweight refused to engage Hrgovic, there was a sharper edge to his response than previously seen.

“That's good for you,” he said. “You don't have to understand.

“You don't know nothing about me so you're not gonna understand anything. We've lived different lives and you ain't gotta understand why I didn't enjoy boxing. You ain’t gonna do that. It’s not gonna do you no favors in the ring."