Hrgovic stops Itauma at O2 to win IBF heavyweight title; promoter confirms Briton in hospital
Filip Hrgovic stopped Moses Itauma to claim the IBF world heavyweight title at London’s O2 Arena late on Saturday night, and Itauma was taken to hospital after the bout, promoter Frank Warren said. Warren confirmed on Sunday morning that the 21-year-old Briton remained under medical observation.
The 34-year-old Croat accepted he had lost the first eight rounds to the “amazing” Itauma, whom he also described as “the best guy in the division, the most talented guy in the division”, and pointed to his own nine years as a professional as a decisive factor in the comeback. Hrgovic said Itauma’s speed and early dominance had forced him to alter his plan and that the younger fighter made crucial tactical errors late in the contest.
“My advice is to, of course, not give up,” Hrgovic said of Itauma, “not lose his confidence, to get a few easy fights, easy wins, to build again, and to learn from these mistakes. You can’t box like an amateur. It’s a 12-round fight, man. You need to pace yourself. You need to, in every moment, be ready and, you know, it’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint.”
Asked whether he had planned to take the fight into the later rounds, Hrgovic answered: “No, I thought I’m gonna connect more from the beginning, but I couldn’t match his speed. He’s very fast. I didn’t see his punches coming. I didn’t see his counters coming. I thought it was gonna be easier but I just couldn’t land.”
Hrgovic attributed the turning point to Itauma’s inexperience, saying: “He’s just a kid. He could have boxed [at range] for the last few rounds. Use his legs, box. He was winning all the rounds. But he went toe-to-toe with me in round [nine]. It was a stupid move from him. Very stupid. But it’s inexperience. He’s an amazing fighter, but he’s still young.” Itauma left the ring on a stretcher after being given oxygen.
Warren described Itauma’s hospital visit as a precaution: “It’s precautionary that he’s gone to the hospital,” Warren said. “That’s what we always do, because the most important thing is the boxer’s health.” He added: “He’s done something to his leg as well and he was quite tired. It was a high-paced, fast fight for both guys.” Warren, who also promotes Hrgovic, praised the Croatian as a “classy guy, a classy champ. He’s been really honest about how hard the fight was for him too.”
The new champion reflected on the wider significance of the win, saying: “God tested me many times, and I endure everything. I stay strong, and he now gave me the best possible gift to win a world title against the best guy in the division, the most talented guy in the division. And there is no better way for me to become a world champion.” He also offered further assessment of Itauma’s development: “He’s really fast but I didn’t feel his power. He needs to work on his power to sit more on his punches. When he knocked me down [in the second round] I wasn’t hurt. I just didn’t see the punches coming. But he needs to pace himself. He needs to adjust a little bit to professional boxing. He’s definitely an amazing talent, and I believe he’ll be world champion for sure. But he needs more time.”
Warren said medical staff were conducting routine checks after Itauma arrived at the hospital late and that he expected the fighter to be released once those tests were complete: “He’s still in hospital, still under observation. I think they’ll let him out today. They’re just doing the usual tests because he didn’t get there until late. So he got some sleep and they’re just doing what they normally do. He should be okay. I’ve messaged him a couple of times. He’s messaged back. We’ll have a call later today.”