Hrgovic Backs Itauma to Bounce Back After IBF Title Shock

Filip Hrgovic believes Moses Itauma may never lose again if he recovers mentally from their IBF heavyweight title fight.

The 34-year-old Croatian described Itauma's defeat as a big shock and a big humiliation, in interviews published on 23 September BBC. He stopped the 21-year-old Briton in the ninth round at the O2 Arena in London on 29 August to claim the vacant IBF crown, one of the four major belts in heavyweight boxing.

Itauma was the strong pre-fight favourite. He started like it, too. He put Hrgovic on the canvas in the second round and outboxed him through the early rounds before the fight turned.

Hrgovic admits that start stung him. He said he was outboxed early and had never been outboxed in 20 years of boxing, in any sparring session or fight BBC. He said he remains angry with himself about those opening rounds despite winning, and that he took a lot of shots and was left bruised.

That is striking because Hrgovic won by technical knockout, when the referee stops the contest, to take the title Reuters. For Itauma, a southpaw who leads with his right foot forward, it was a first professional defeat and the end of his unbeaten record Sky Sports.

Hrgovic now wants to unify the division, meaning he wants to collect belts held by rival champions and become the man with more than one major title. Itauma must decide how fast to return after such a public loss at such a young age.

For fans, this means two stories to follow. Hrgovic has the belt and the bigger targets. Itauma has time, talent and, in his conqueror's view, the chance to learn so completely from this night that he does not lose again.