Moses Itauma’s unbeaten professional run has come to an end after Filip Hrgovic stopped the British heavyweight in the ninth round of a dramatic world-title contest at the O2 Arena in London.
Itauma, 21, appeared to be on course for victory after dominating the early stages and scoring a knockdown in the second round, but the Croatian veteran absorbed his opponent’s sustained attacks before mounting a decisive comeback.
The bout was contested for the vacant IBF heavyweight title, with Itauma entering the fight as a strong favourite after winning his first 14 professional bouts.
Victory would have made Itauma the second-youngest world heavyweight champion in history.
The British fighter started aggressively, using his speed and combinations to trouble Hrgovic from the opening rounds. His pressure paid off in the second round when a right hook sent Hrgovic off balance and forced his glove to touch the canvas.
However, Itauma’s relentless pace began to take its toll as the fight progressed.
By the third round, the 21-year-old was visibly breathing heavily, while Hrgovic continued to absorb his punches and remain in contention.
Itauma maintained his advantage through the middle rounds, repeatedly landing combinations and forcing Hrgovic towards the ropes. The Croatian, however, refused to wilt and continued to walk through the British fighter’s attacks.
Rather than attempting to manage the fight with his technical advantage, Itauma continued searching for a knockout, and the sustained output appeared to drain his energy.
Hrgovic seized the opportunity in the ninth round, stepping up his pressure and landing a heavy right hand that sent Itauma staggering backwards.
Itauma struggled to regain his footing and was soon unable to defend himself effectively.
As he slumped into his corner, his team threw in the towel, prompting referee Howard Foster to stop the contest and hand Hrgovic a remarkable comeback victory.
Itauma required medical attention after the stoppage and was subsequently taken from the arena on a stretcher.
Hrgovic, an Olympic bronze medallist, acknowledged the quality of his opponent but said he believed Itauma’s aggressive start would eventually work against him.
“He is the best I have been in the ring with, but he needs more experience. I knew I was losing the round, but I knew that I had the pace in my favour. He needs more experience, but he is one of a kind,” Hrgovic said.
The Croatian added that he noticed Itauma beginning to tire early in the fight.
“From the first round, I saw his gassing out. He started fast. I knew he was going to gas out. I knew when my chance came I needed to push. That is what I did,” he said.
With the victory, Hrgovic becomes Croatia’s first heavyweight world champion and moves on to a mandatory title defence against Frank Sanchez.
A potential unification fight could follow, with Daniel Dubois holding the WBO heavyweight title and scheduled to face Fabio Wardley again in October.
For Itauma, the defeat represents the first setback of his professional career and raises questions over whether his rise to world-title level came too early.
However, the young heavyweight has considerable time to rebuild his career, having entered the contest with only 26 professional rounds under his belt.
Hrgovic believes Itauma still has a major future in the division.
“He’s an amazing fighter. I am the present. He is definitely the future,” the Croatian said.
Itauma’s promoter, Frank Warren, also backed the youngster to recover from the defeat, suggesting that he may have been carrying a leg injury during the final round.
“Moses gave everything,” Warren said. “He has to go back to the drawing board and he can come again.”
The defeat ends Itauma’s unbeaten record, but his performance before the collapse demonstrated why he had been widely regarded as one of heavyweight boxing’s most promising young fighters.
