English is not Filip Hrgovic's first language, though he has a strong grasp of it. The Croatian has to feel around for some words, and yet his assessment of Moses Itauma hits you right between the eyes.
"If you come from Great Britain, you get everything on a plate ... So, I'm not impressed. I'm impressed with my path more than him," he says. "I needed to do everything by myself. Why would I be impressed with Moses Itauma when I have [had a] 10 times harder path? I'm not impressed with him.
"Imagine if Itauma stayed in Slovakia [his country of birth]. You wouldn't even hear of him. He would fight in some tournaments in Slovakia then he would sign with some s--- promoter. He would have some s--- manager. They wouldn't guide his career so good, so it's totally different."
It wasn't quite the unhinged rant it might appear from Hrgovic about his next opponent [Aug. 29, DAZN] before their fight for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.
He was measured. Calm. Articulate.
But the gripe is real.
It felt like something he wanted to get off his chest, and it came from deep inside. A by-product of toiling away for years in the shadows and getting little recognition for his achievements.
The 34-year-old took to boxing after failed attempts at swimming and basketball. He began playing the latter in a bid to lose weight after he was bullied as a kid but eventually found a heavy bag.
Coming from a country with no established pathway in boxing, Hrgovic had to scrap and fight his way up the ladder, finally reaching the pinnacle with a medal at the 2016 Olympics. Itauma points out that the Croatian had a huge leg of his own when turning pro thanks to the medal but acknowledged they don't just dish them out to anyone.
The difference between Hrgovic and Itauma appears generational rather than personal. Hrgovic sees what he never had and what Itauma does have: The backing of a big promoter in Frank Warren and everyone believing in him.
Hrgovic is, in his own words, an old school fighter. He's not exactly Rocky chasing chickens around the yard or thumping cattle carcases, but he's not far off. Training out of The Summit Gym in Big Bear, Calif. with veteran trainer Abel Sanchez is not for the feint hearted.
"Work hard and shut the f--- up. You're here to work and shut the f--- up. Run every day. Wake up at 6 a.m.," Hrgovic explains.
Itauma -- the 21-year-old sensation who is expected to take the place of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua as the next big British heavyweight star -- is, in the opinion of Hrgovic, new school.
That's not meant as a compliment.
"[He's a] modern fighter ... Lift weights, drink water, probably in the morning [he says] hello to the sun, breathes 10 times then showers with cold water ... Then goes to kiss a tree," Hrgovic mocks.
"You know, bulls----."
When his opponent's remarks are relayed to him by a cluster of writers who eagerly await a tasty line for their copy in a London hotel, Itauma cracks a wry smile and obliges.
"I don't hug trees. I don't have a nutritionist. He's going to be fighting guns with a knife. The new school always prevails," Itauma says.
Itauma is used to winning. The boxing game has been hard but enjoyable for him so far. Fourteen wins,12 KOs, all but one inside the first two rounds. His record, and the backing of Warren, has brought an air of inevitability to the Itauma show. He will be great ... the next star to carry British boxing on his back.
Again, everything Hrgovic didn't have coming from the streets of Zagreb.
But Hrgovic is tough. He has lost only once, a technical knockout to Daniel Dubois in 2024 when he was stopped due to a cut. He knows this is likely his last chance to make it to the top.
Ending Hrgovic's dreams would enable Itauma to break into an exclusive club of young world champions. He'll be second to only Mike Tyson as the youngest heavyweight title holder if he wins on Aug. 29.
Itauma accepts that Hrgovic is his toughest test so far but bristles at a suggestion that he has been wrapped in cotton wool and carried to the top of the division.
"I've knocked everyone out in the first or second rounds ... Jermaine Franklin Jr., who's never ever touched the canvas ... I splattered him in five rounds," Itauma says.
"When you say golden child, it's like it's a privilege. I wouldn't say that I've been privileged in boxing."
The exchange is the type of pre-fight niggle that Itauma will benefit from. Knockouts, as good as they are, aren't enough to capture the public anymore. You need tension, drama, a storyline ... Anything for people to sink their teeth into. The knockout, which neither fighter is a stranger to, is the icing on the cake.
In Itauma's eyes, Hrgovic's suggestion he has been spoon-fed opportunities borders on disrespectful; crossing the line in the code of a fighter.
Nobody has it easy. Everything in the ring is earned, not given.
"I don't mind you guys [media] saying this because you don't know, but he's a fighter himself," Itauma says.
"It's disappointing he's saying this. Going through a camp, spending the money you've got to spend, the things you have to take care of, and he's saying this? [It] just shows his character."
While Hrgovic was cutting in his assessment of Itauma, the Brit keeps things professional and simple when asked about his opponent.
"Filip Hrgovic has done so much in boxing. He's achieved so much," he says.
"The beautiful thing about me is I get to take that away from him."