Moses Itauma insists he can still conquer the heavyweight division despite losing to Filip Hrgovic. The 21-year-old had been primed as the successor to fellow Brits Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Itauma dominated Hrgovic for eight rounds of their world title clash in August before running out of steam. He was then stopped by the Croatian and taken from the ring on a stretcher.
Itauma opens up on defeat
Speaking about the loss, Itauma said: "For a long time, I couldn't accept it had happened. I was winning the fight so comfortably and then all of a sudden my body just started shutting itself down. But even though I didn't get the decision I wanted, I was proud of my performance. For the knowledge I had, for the talent I had, and for the experience I had, I put on a good show."
He added: "I'll be back. The identity of being a boxer is still deeply rooted in me, so just because I lost doesn't mean that that's going to change. That was the third round I've ever lost in my boxing career; it just happened to be for the heavyweight championship of the world at 21 years of age. I'm not tripping over it. I attempted greatness, and I fell short."
No warning signs before stoppage
Itauma also revealed he had no indication his gas tank was about to empty. "Skill-wise, he didn't surprise me, but he's very durable. I've always been able to do things that other people couldn't do. Jermaine Franklin's never looked like he's ever been in any trouble but I knocked him out. Against Hrgovic I was an arm's length away from so much greatness and maybe that was the experience that I needed to have."
He continued: "It was all the way till a minute before the fight stopped. I didn't have a worry and it was only a couple of minutes into round nine that I started moving in slow motion, and he was in fast motion. It was like I just couldn't do anything. Obviously the exhaustion must have kicked in but at no point in that fight was I like, 'Oh, I'm messing up'."
