Tyson Fury On Moses Itauma After Hrgovic Loss

Tyson Fury had words of encouragement for Moses Itauma after the young heavyweight suffered his first professional defeat.

Itauma lost his unbeaten record when Filip Hrgovic stopped him in the ninth round of their IBF heavyweight title clash on August 29, per BJPenn.com. The 19-year-old was attempting to become the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history, a mark currently held by Mike Tyson, but faded badly down the stretch after showing promise in the early rounds.

Fury Calls Itauma A Talented Kid

Speaking at BKB 58 in Miami, where Fury is preparing for an unannounced bout with Anthony Joshua, the former heavyweight champion offered his assessment of Itauma's setback. "Boxing is a tough sport. Young, young lads having a go at becoming world champion, he dared to be great and it didn't work out for him," Fury said, according to Bare Knuckle Bowker. "He'll come again, rest up, come again. Very talented kid."

Itauma appeared to struggle with his conditioning as the fight progressed, allowing the Croatian to seize control and pull off the upset. The British prospect had built his reputation on emphatic finishes heading into the championship opportunity.

During the same Miami appearance, Fury told interviewer Gareth A. Davies he would consider stepping into the bare-knuckle boxing ring if the financial offer justified it. "I'm a prize fighter. Show me the money... get the chequebook out, I'll be here," he said.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Tyson Fury says Moses Itauma “Dared to be great”, but “he’ll come again” following loss to Filip Hrgovic