Hrgovic On Itauma After Ninth-Round Stoppage

Filip Hrgovic believes Moses Itauma will go the rest of his career unbeaten — if the 21-year-old can recover from their fight.

The Croatian heavyweight stopped Itauma in the ninth round to claim the IBF title in London last month, but told a media roundtable Wednesday that his opponent was outboxing him until the finish. "It will be a hard journey to come back but if he recovers and comes back mentally strong, I think nobody will ever beat him again," Hrgovic said, per The Ring.

What Hrgovic Said About Itauma's Speed

Hrgovic described Itauma as the fastest heavyweight he has faced, praising the southpaw's timing and ring IQ. Two judges had Itauma ahead 8-0 at the stoppage. The Croatian said Itauma countered every adjustment he made and disrupted his rhythm with speed and placement. "He's a special kid; very fast, very talented and he countered whatever I tried," Hrgovic said.

The victory came at a cost for the 34-year-old champion. He skipped his usual post-fight McDonald's run and nursed a headache until the following Wednesday, according to the report. Hrgovic compared Itauma's challenge to his own first loss — a June 2024 stoppage to Daniel Dubois that left him considering retirement.

Itauma, now 14-1 with 12 knockouts, was stopped on his feet through exhaustion. Hrgovic suggested the mental recovery will determine whether the British prospect becomes the elite-level fighter his early career promised. "A lot of people after that kind of loss never come back," he said.

Hrgovic defends the IBF belt next on a card that could feature Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Source: ringmagazine.com