Itauma stopped in ninth as Hrgovic claims vacant IBF heavyweight title at O2 Arena
On Saturday night at the O2 Arena, Moses Itauma was stopped in the ninth round by Filip Hrgovic in a contest for the vacant IBF heavyweight title after Itauma's corner threw in the towel.
The 21-year-old Briton, who had never gone beyond six rounds as a professional, suffered his first defeat in his 15th pro fight and left the arena on a stretcher after receiving medical attention. For long periods during the contest Itauma appeared the quicker and sharper boxer, repeatedly landing a telling left hand, but fatigue became apparent as the fight progressed.
Hrgovic, 34, brought the experience that had been questioned in the build-up, repeatedly attacking Itauma's age and dismissing him as "just a kid" during fight week; the pair clashed at the weigh-in when Itauma shoved Hrgovic and the Croatian responded with a slap. Hrgovic's background cited in the coverage includes an Olympic bronze medal, a 12-round outing with Zhilei Zhang and a bout with Daniel Dubois in which he was leading on two of the three scorecards before that contest was stopped due to cuts.
The contest swung between Itauma's hand speed and Hrgovic's durability, with the eighth round standing out as the moment Itauma emptied his reserves by throwing more punches than in any other round. "He was throwing too much. He was fighting like an amateur," Hrgovic said afterwards, adding: "I knew I needed to endure it. I need to stay there. He will get tired and I'll get him in the later rounds." Observers described Itauma's mouth opening and the spring leaving his legs as Hrgovic remained composed.
Questions were raised about the preparation for a championship distance; Itauma had admitted before the fight that he had never sparred 12 rounds and his conditioning was judged insufficient for a 12-round title fight. Promoter Frank Warren said after the contest: "Someone said to me he doesn't feel like he'd win a world title unless he knocks him out. I didn't like that," and the report argues responsibility for the preparation extends beyond the fighter to the experienced team around him.
The report also noted positives in Itauma's display: he absorbed punishment without a single blow exposing a fragile chin, his hand speed troubled Hrgovic and he at times made the Croatian look slow. Hrgovic offered advice to the younger man: "Don't give up. Don't lose confidence. Get a few easy fights, easy wins. Build again and learn off these mistakes. You can't box like an amateur. It's a 12-round fight, you need to pace yourself," and the article suggested audiences will now scrutinise Itauma's breathing and pacing in future fights.
Hrgovic registered a 16th stoppage in his 21st win to become the first heavyweight world champion from Croatia.
