Behind the Scenes of the Queensberry Night at O2 Arena: Chepilko — Why Itauma vs. Hrgovic Doesn't Look Like a Superfight, and Berinchik Is Underrated

Alexander Chepilko, based in London, spoke about the preparations for the Queensberry boxing night at the O2 Arena and offered his own assessment of the chances of Denis Berinchik, Moses Itauma, and Filip Hrgovic. In his words, against the backdrop of the big fights he has seen in England, Germany, Poland, and Saudi Arabia, this night feels "easy and simplified": there is no sense that something extraordinary will happen in the ring in the clash between local rising star Moses Itauma and Olympic medallist Filip Hrgovic. Hrgovic, according to the author, waited a long time for an IBF title shot and, by his own assessment, previously lost to Dubois — which underscores both his experience and his vulnerability.

A Simple Hotel and a Bazaar Instead of Gloss

The organizational side of the night, as observed by Chepilko, is maximally spartan. The hotel where the boxers are staying is "very simple" — if it weren't for the cars with the Queensberry logo, you wouldn't realize that athletes are lodged here. The first media event took place at a simple bazaar: the open training session was held there, and the weigh-in took place there too, where you could buy donuts and costume jewelry nearby. The author openly expresses his disappointment: given that English boxing is currently at one of the highest levels in the world, he would have liked a more serious approach to presenting the night.

Berinchik Returns: A Year of Rehabilitation and Three Months of Camp

Denis Berinchik, in Chepilko's assessment, looks good and has healed his injuries. The boxer himself and his manager Zhenya Ivanchuk explained that he prepared for this return for a very long time: there was one operation, then a second, followed by a year of rehabilitation. The camp lasted three months in Kyiv and another two in Bukovel. Yuri Tkachenko trained Berinchik for three weeks, and the preparation was completed by Vitaliy Znak, a trainer of Yaroslav Khartsiy's camp, using Tkachenko's methodology (Khartsiy — a participant in the 2020 Olympics, now competing as a professional for K2 Promotions). According to the author, Denis does not look tired from the camp, but his age is a cause for concern — 38 years old: "If he were 32–33 now, I would back Denis."

Contradictory Data

There are two notable inconsistencies here. The first — in the assessment of Berinchik's chances against Knocks: most bookmakers and observers give Knocks an advantage of around 70 to 30, whereas Chepilko sees the odds closer to 55 to 45, citing Berinchik's punch, his 16 knockout wins, and the "boxer's heart" that, according to the author, Krasnyuk spoke about. The second — in the status and favoritism in the IBF title fight: many call Itauma the outright favorite, while the same text mentions that Hrgovic "waited a long time for an IBF title fight, got it, and lost to Dubois," which creates confusion in his title history and current status. Chepilko himself, on the contrary, considers the Itauma — Hrgovic bout even — 50 to 50 — and disagrees with the majority's position.

Itauma vs. Hrgovic: Age Against Experience

In the title fight, Chepilko shares the majority's view on what Itauma is like: he is 21, young, and already shows great power and speed, and his hands, in the author's assessment, are even faster than Usyk's, who, as they said, is not a knockout artist. Itauma's main advantage is his age. Hrgovic, who is 34, has experience and physical strength on his side: he is 13 years older than Itauma, has boxed Zhang Zhilei and Dubois, and went through a lot in Olympic boxing. At the press conference, Hrgovic, according to the author, stated: "Itauma is a kid, and I am a man." It is precisely the combination of age on one side and experience and strength on the other that prevents Chepilko from naming a clear favorite.

Conclusion: A Night Without a Clear Superfight

Summing up, Chepilko characterizes the London Queensberry night as simplified and not befitting the level of English boxing: neither in the Berinchik — Knocks fight nor in the title clash Itauma — Hrgovic does he see that very "superfight" you would expect from the O2 Arena. At the same time, he emphasizes that both Berinchik and Hrgovic are underrated by the market and the fans, and the real odds in both bouts are much closer to even than is generally assumed.