Hrgovic Stuns Itauma With Ninth-Round Stoppage

Filip Hrgovic pulled off a stunning upset, weathering an early onslaught before stopping an exhausted and badly hurt Moses Itauma in the ninth round to claim the WBO heavyweight title.

Hrgovic entered as a heavy underdog, with some bookmakers pricing him as wide as 7/1, but he absorbed Itauma's best work in the opening rounds and gradually turned the tide as the fight wore on. Trailing significantly on the scorecards heading into the ninth, Hrgovic found a second wind and unloaded on a visibly fading Itauma, leaving him defenseless on the ropes.

With Itauma unable to answer back and clearly out on his feet, trainer Ben Davison made the call to throw in the towel with 30 seconds remaining in the round, sparing his fighter further punishment and handing Hrgovic one of the biggest heavyweight upsets in recent memory.