Moses Itauma has vowed to return after his incredible rise to the top of heavyweight boxing came crashing down against Filip Hrgovic in London over the weekend.
The talented 21-year-old looked destined to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history when he dropped Hrgovic in the second round and dominated much of their clash for the vacant IBF crown.
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But after throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the giant Croatian, Itauma dramatically ran out of steam.
Hrgovic survived the early storm before turning the fight on its head, overwhelming an exhausted Itauma in the ninth round and forcing his corner to throw in the towel.
Itauma was taken out of the arena on a stretcher and transported to hospital, but was released several hours later.
Now the previously unbeaten Brit has spoken publicly for the first time since the defeat.
“So yesterday wasn’t my night,” Itauma said in a video posted to social media.
“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 will take into my future fights.
“I wanna thank my fans in and outside of the arena. You guys made it a little bit more special and electrifying than I expected,. It was a f***ing good fight and I wanna thank Queensberry and DAZN for putting this show on.
“So, god bless, take care and I’ll be back.”
Moses Itauma and Filip HrgovicSource: FOX SPORTS
Itauma came into the fight as a heavy favourite and the most hyped young heavyweight in years.
A victory would have seen him become a world champion at just 21 years and 244 days old, leaving only Mike Tyson ahead of him on the list of boxing’s youngest heavyweight champs.
And for most of the fight, things were going his way.
Itauma’s speed and explosiveness troubled the far more experienced Hrgovic, who hit the canvas in the second round following a clubbing right hook.
The youngster was well ahead on all three scorecards entering the ninth.
But the fight changed dramatically as Itauma began to tire, with Hrgovic drawing on all his experience to launch a brutal late attack.
A series of unanswered shots left Itauma barely able to defend himself before referee Howard Foster stopped the fight.
“He’s one of a kind,” Hrgovic said of his beaten rival.
“He’s the best I’ve been in the ring with, but he needs more experience. He gassed out. I felt the pace of the fight.
“My advice is, of course, don’t give up. Don’t lose your confidence. Get a few easy fights, easy wins, build again and learn from these mistakes.
“You can’t box like an amateur. It’s a 12-round fight. You need to pace yourself.”
WHAT NEXT FOR ITAUMA?
Itauma is already pushing for a rematch.
His promoter Frank Warren, however, wants the youngster to step away from boxing, clear his head and resist making any big decisions while the defeat is still raw.
Warren believes Itauma should have one or two rebuilding fights before returning to world-title level, particularly after revealing he also suffered a leg injury during the fight.
“He’s saying to me, ‘Can we get the rematch on?’ which is a natural reaction,” Warren told talkSPORT.
“But I told him, ‘You have got to switch off from boxing, go and chill out and spend some time with your family and come back, recharge your batteries and then we get to work again.
“The landscape is what it is; you are a big part of it. You have shown you belong at that level’.
“Provided he learns the lessons from the fight, I think he can go on and do great things.”
That appears to be the sensible approach.
The defeat exposed some big flaws in Itauma’s conditioning and ability to adapt when things aren’t going his way.
Before squaring off with Hrgovic, he had never been beyond six rounds as a pro, with 10 of his previous 14 fights ending inside two.
Filip Hrgoiv and Moses ItaumaSource: FOX SPORTS
Against the first top level heavyweight capable of surviving his power, Itauma found himself in all new territory.
Yet the loss did little to take the shine off one of boxing’s most exciting fighters..
Oleksandr Usyk was among those to throw his support behind Itauma after the fight.
“Moses, this is not the end,” Usyk wrote on social media.
“Come back stronger and keep moving forward. Your journey has only just begun!”
At just 21, there is plenty of time to correct his mistakes.
Heavyweight greats including Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua all suffered defeats before winning or reclaiming world titles. Hrgovic himself rebuilt after being stopped by Daniel Dubois.
The first priority for Itauma should be recovery, followed by a return against a durable opponent who doesn’t bring the same threat as Hrgovic.
WHAT NEXT FOR HRGOVIC?
Hrgovic’s victory opens several exciting doors, although his immediate future may already have been decided for him.
The new IBF champ is expected to make his first defence against mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez, who stepped aside to allow the Itauma-Hrgovic fight to proceed.
That contractual obligation is likely to delay either a rematch or an immediate unification bout.
Hrgovic nevertheless made his ambitions clear after the victory on Sunday, exchanging words inside the ring with undefeated WBC champ Agit Kabayel.
There is also the possibility of facing WBO champion Dubois, the only man to have beaten Hrgovic as a pro.
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WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION?
Itauma’s defeat has dramatically altered the heavyweight landscape.
After Usyk vacated his major belts, many expected Itauma to be the new face of the division. Instead, the championships are now divided between Hrgovic, Kabayel, Dubois and Gassiev.
None possesses Usyk’s authority over the division, leaving heavyweight boxing without a recognised No.1.
It also creates opportunity.
Hrgovic has finally claimed a world title after waiting in the wings for years. Kabayel is still unbeaten and may have the strongest claim among the new champions. Dubois has already rebuilt his career once and is preparing to defend his WBO strap in a rematch with Fabio Wardley, while Gassiev remains a dangerous – but relatively inactive – presence.
Then come the established stars and leading contenders, including Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker and Martin Bakole.
Australia also has an interest in what happens next.
Justis Huni remains right there in the mix, while six-foot-six knockout merchant Teremoana Teremoana has openly discussed future fights with Itauma, Hrgovic, Dubois and Kabayel.
Itauma has not disappeared from that picture at all.
But his coronation is no longer considered inevitable – and the heavyweight division now looks far more unpredictable than it did just a week ago.