MANCHESTER, ENGLAND -- Filip Hrgovic will fight anyone that propels him closer towards a new-and-improved goal: becoming new head trainer Abel Sanchez's first-ever world heavyweight champion.

If Moses Itauma (11-0, 9 KOs) features on that list, the Croatian is willing to test the 20-year-old's mettle and see whether his burgeoning hype truly is real.

The Ring's 2024 Prospect of The Year was among a whole host of domestic heavyweights watching Hrgovic's 10-round decision win over Joe Joyce ringside at the Co-Op Live Arena earlier this month, as well as stablemate Fabio Wardley's June 7 opponent in Jarrell Miller.

It has been four months since Itauma needed less than two minutes to spectacularly blast beyond Demsey McKean (22-2, 14 KOs), who went twelve against Hrgovic before El Animal stopped him late in the final frame of their August 2023 IBF title eliminator.

Hrgovic's next appearance came ten months later, where he began intently but faded physically and was ultimately overwhelmed by Daniel Dubois in Riyadh, the 27-year-old later elevated to full IBF world titleholder and among the assembled crew watching here.

It made sense matchmaking that way for Itauma, though bridging the gap with his next step is trickier, as Joseph Parker's trainer Andy Lee echoed in conversation with The Ring last month.

Hrgovic (18-1, 14 KOs), 12 years his senior, had praise for the decorated amateur European and World champion but openly warned the decision-makers against rushing him at world level.

"One side is skill, another is heart and chin. He's definitely done a great job until now but yeah, let's do it, just look at Jared Anderson... he looked good until he didn't. I'm more than happy having that fight, he's still young and they need to be cautious matching him properly, don't rush him too soon into some hard fights. We'll see if he has the heart of a warrior."

Jared Anderson (18-1, 15 KOs) was long seen as America's next great heavyweight hopeful, though serious questions have been asked after his fifth-round knockout defeat by Martin Bakole last August. Itauma, five years younger, has been moved carefully as his ambitious aspirations to become the youngest-ever world heavyweight champion slowly faded.

Sanchez echoed Hrgovic without mentioning Itauma by name when telling The Ring: "The crop who deserve a title eliminator shot? I'm fine for him to face any but some of the younger guys have to earn that, not only the shot but warrior status that Joe, Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora, Filip all have - they've proved themselves - there's still a way to go for the others."

Itauma's promoter Frank Warren expressed frustration they couldn't capitalize on the youngster's momentum after his ruthless Riyadh showing on the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 undercard, though expects him to be active again in the coming months starting against Mike Balogun in Glasgow, Scotland on May 24.

He later told The Ring: "He'll be okay. Been out a little while now which is disappointing, I didn't want to lose the momentum but anyway, he'll be out in Glasgow and provided he comes through that, another fight around the end of June or July will be next for Moses."