RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Moses Itauma had boxed just 31 rounds as a professional before facing Filip Hrgovic [Getty Images]
Shakur Stevenson and Tony Bellew believe Moses Itauma showed enough in defeat by Filip Hrgovic to suggest he will become a heavyweight world champion.
Itauma made a fast start at London's O2 Arena and controlled large parts of the contest for the vacant IBF title, but eventually ran out of steam and was stopped by Hrgovic in round nine.
The Briton's speed and power caught the eye early in the bout but once he broke new ground - going beyond the sixth round for the first time in his career - the wheels began to come off.
Hrgovic was outpunched in every round until the decisive ninth when he seized his moment to become Croatia's first heavyweight world champion.
BBC Radio 5 Live's coverage of the night ended with Richie Woodhall, Ronald McIntosh and Steve Bunce offering up one word each to describe the night.
"Incredible," former super-middleweight world champion Woodhall said.
"Unbelievable," added commentator McIntosh, while Bunce signed off with "unforgettable".
Relive Hrgovic's dramatic stoppage win over Itauma to claim IBF heavyweight title
Itauma punches himself out against Hrgovic in world-title fight
Many expected Itauma, who stepped into the ring with a perfect record of 14 wins as a professional, to be coronated as the next British heavyweight star - although Hrgovic was rightly touted as his biggest test to date.
Aged 21, Itauma was seeking to become the second-youngest heavyweight world champion of all-time and Britain's second-youngest world champion.
But lack of experience against a seasoned Hrgovic proved Itauma's undoing.
Hype around Itauma has been building since winning his pro debut in just 23 seconds in January 2023.
A string of highlight knockouts - winning 12 of his previous 14 bouts inside six rounds - had propelled the Chatham fighter to world-title level in quick fashion.
Despite coming up short against 34-year-old Hrgovic, he is still being tipped to reach the pinnacle of boxing's glamour division.
"Unbelievable talent and skills," four-weight world champion Stevenson wrote on X.
"He's young and will be a champion one day if he learns from that. He throws every punch at 100mph and that can be a gift and a curse, Especially in the heavyweights division!"
Fellow Briton Tony Bellew, who was a cruiserweight world champion but ended his career at heavyweight, was also keen to focus on the positives.
"Moses Itauma will be world champion! He will learn so much from tonight," Bellew posted on X.
"The biggest thing I'll take from tonight is just how brave and tough Moses was, we knew Filip was super tough. Tonight we learned Moses is also tough, once he learns to pace a 12-round bout, he's gonna rule for a while! Filip Hrgovic's chin needs to studied."
Questions over Itauma's conditioning
Eight of Moses Itauma's 12 knockout wins have come in the first round [Getty Images]
Itauma told BBC Sport in the weeks before his heavyweight title fight that he had never even sparred 12 rounds, and it showed as he grew fatigued with each round that passed.
Trainer Ben Davison almost threw in the towel early in the ninth round as Itauma staggered around the ring, but he had second thoughts.
It was only moments later that the towel did come in as referee Howard Foster had stepped in to wave off the contest with Itauma unable to stand without the ropes to aid him.
Chris Eubank Jr wrote on X: "Not sure what happened tonight. Moses was fighting well and then gassed out it seems… at his young age this should simply not be happening. Time to rethink his training camp moving forward I think."
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