Filip Hrgovic stopped Britain's Moses Itauma in the ninth round of their IBF title fight, ending the 21-year-old's hopes of becoming the second-youngest world heavyweight champion in history. The 34-year-old Croat, who is the first world heavyweight champion from Croatia, overcame a dominant start by Itauma to secure a remarkable victory.
A Fight of Two Halves
Until the latter stages of round eight, Itauma had controlled the contest with his speed and dextrous power, dropping Hrgovic in the second round and repeatedly landing jolting combinations. The fight changed course when Itauma's stamina suddenly dipped, and he began to weave in woozy fatigue as Hrgovic fought back with granite-like determination.
Itauma could not withstand the pressure in the ninth round and sank back against the ropes as Hrgovic opened up with renewed conviction. Ben Davison, Itauma's trainer, sent a white towel sailing over the ropes to save his man from a knockout. The 21-year-old left the ring on a stretcher, apparently having injured his knee.
Itauma's Early Dominance
Fighting out of a southpaw stance, Itauma landed the first meaningful punch, a sweeping right hand, and continued to back up the bigger man with fast and cuffing blows. In the second round, a jolting short right hook dropped Hrgovic to the canvas for a count of eight. Itauma switched to the body in the third, sinking a cruel blow to Hrgovic's gut, but the Croat refused to wilt.
Itauma began to grimace occasionally as the pace of the fight took its toll. A beautiful short left snaked through Hrgovic's defence in the fifth, but the older man marched forward with stoic determination. Itauma was starting to breathe heavily and had to use a glove to slip his black gum shield back into his mouth, the first real sign of distress in his previously impassive expression.
Hrgovic's Resurgence
Itauma had never boxed more than six rounds before and entered uncharted territory in the seventh. He again forced Hrgovic on to the back foot and landed some deft combinations. Hrgovic ate one meaty blow after another in the eighth round but was resolute as ever. Itauma looked desperately weary as Hrgovic rallied again, soon overwhelming the exhausted youngster to finish a remarkable resurgence.
Throughout fight week, Hrgovic had suggested that becoming a world heavyweight champion at such a young age would be “bad for his soul” for Itauma. The experienced Croat had lost only one previous bout in his nine years as a professional.
Post-Fight Reactions
“Let me tell you something,” Hrgovic said afterwards. “It was not me tonight. It was Jesus Christ in me. Holy Spirit. Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. It was not me. I was losing every round. I was outboxed. And I don’t know from where I got energy in that ninth round. And it was really not my strength. It was the Holy Spirit.”
He then turned his attention to his fallen opponent. “He’s an amazing fighter,” Hrgovic said of Itauma. “I want to thank him for accepting this fight, to give me a chance to become a new superstar in the heavyweight division. I’m the present and he’s definitely the future.”
