Moses Itauma has been urged “not to give up” by Filip Hrgovic, the new IBF world heavyweight champion, who stopped the 21-year-old Briton with a dramatic and stunning turnaround in their title fight late on Saturday night at London’s O2 Arena. Itauma was taken to hospital in a precautionary measure after the fight and Frank Warren, his promoter, confirmed to the Guardian on Sunday morning that his young heavyweight was still under medical observation. 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. I’ve messaged him a couple of times. We’ll have a call later today.” Hrgovic said 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”, but that his own hard-bitten experience after nine years as a professional fighter was the telling difference.
The 34-year-old Croat also stressed that Itauma made some basic mistakes in the pacing of the fight and, for all his speed and skill, ended up brawling like an amateur in the last two tumultuous rounds of a gripping battle. 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 if it had always been his plan to take the bout into the later rounds, Hrgovic shook his head.
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 pointed to the inexperience of Itauma which cost him at such a crucial period after he had built a wide lead on the scorecards.
He could have boxed [at range] for the last few rounds. He was winning all the rounds. But he went toe-to-toe with me in round [nine].
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