Moses Itauma vowed “I’ll be back” after his IBF world heavyweight title challenge was extinguished by a ninth-round stoppage by Filip Hrgovic at The O2.
Itauma left hospital overnight after undergoing precautionary medical checks in the wake of a gruelling clash, which ended with the 21-year-old from Chatham being carried out of the ring on a stretcher.
It was the first time in 15 fights Itauma had faced a world-class opponent and Hrgovic proved too tough and experienced for this stage of his career, but he insisted he will grow from his exposure to some harsh lessons.
“So yesterday (Saturday) wasn’t my night,” said Itauma in a video posted on Instagram.
“We attempted greatness and we just fell short to the more experienced man. I want to say congratulations to Filip Hrgovic on his win and although I never reached my desired outcome, I believe I gained experience that I’ll take to my future fights.
“I want to thank the fans in and outside the arena. You guys made it a little bit more special and a little bit more electrifying than I expected.
“It was a f****** good fight and I want to thank Queensberry and DAZN for putting this show on. So God bless, take care and I’ll be back.”
Itauma looked sensational while using his hand speed and movement to dominate his bid to become Britain’s youngest world heavyweight champion, but he began to trade in the eighth and ninth rounds, eventually leading to him staggering around the ring in exhaustion.
It was the first time he had boxed beyond the sixth round and in interviews last week it was revealed he had not sparred for a full 12 rounds in training to prepare for the scheduled length of the fight.
For all his bravery he had been outsmarted by the canny and teak-tough Hrgovic, who intentionally dragged the contest into deep waters having survived an initial onslaught that was more intense than he had expected.
Queensberry Promotions boss Frank Warren believes Itauma needs a tactical rethink if he is to reach the top.
“That aura of invincibility, at the moment, is gone,” Warren said. “People will look at that and maybe it will make it easier to make fights for him.
“He’s still one of the most unbelievable talents I’ve ever been involved with. We’ll stick with him. He needs a bit more ring craft and needs to stop thinking about knocking everyone out.
“Somebody was saying to me this evening (Saturday) that Moses won’t feel he’s won the world title properly unless he’s knocked him out and I didn’t like hearing that.”
Hrgovic’s granite chin and indomitable spirit made the greatest victory of his career possible and while he had scoffed at comparisons between Itauma and Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali, he is still tipping his rookie rival for great things.
“Moses is an amazing talent and I believe he will be a world champion for sure,” Hrgovic said. “But he needs more time. My advice is to not give up.
“I’ve never been in the ring with someone like him, but he’s inexperienced. He needs to pace himself and adjust to professional boxing.
“You can’t box like an amateur, it’s a 12-round fight so you need to pace yourself. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
