Moses Itauma has a lot of changes to make if he’s to become a boxing world champion in the future.
Itauma, 21, had the chance Saturday at London’s O2 Arena to become the youngest heavyweight world champion since Mike Tyson. All he had to do was beat veteran contender Filip Hrgovic and claim the vacant IBF heavyweight world title.
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Despite winning the first round, knocking Hrgovic down in the second, and dominating many of the subsequent rounds with his dazzling offense and fast hands, Itauma nonetheless showed his inexperience, according to his promoter Frank Warren. He fell in love with his power and abandoned his jab, the Queensberry Promotions founder said.
Itauma (14-1, 12 KOs) ultimately punched himself out and lost in the ninth round, when he could barely stand on his own accord. He threw slower, more sluggish shots, and he was there for the taking. Hrgovic, 34, simply needed only to survive in order to claim the win once it was given to him.
“Moses started the fight really well — controlling the fight with his jab, but it didn’t work out for him,” Warren, Itauma’s longtime promoter, said post-fight.
“The difference in the last couple rounds was that he just wasn’t using his jab enough. When he was using that, he was pushing Filip back and winning the rounds. He was trying to knock him out. That was the problem.”
While Hrgovic lifted the IBF heavyweight belt in the bout’s immediate aftermath, medical professionals took Itauma out of the ring on a stretcher and to hospital.
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Warren is sure Itauma will “come back” and “learn from it,” he said, because Itauma remains “one of the most unbelievable talents” in boxing.
But the veteran fight-maker, 74, warned: “He needs a bit more ring craft. And to stop thinking he can knock everyone out.”
Warren said his alarm bells rang earlier on fight night when he heard, seemingly from a member of Itauma’s team, that the fighter wouldn’t even feel like he’d won a world title unless he finished Hrgovic. “I didn’t like hearing that,” Warren said. “That’s not what it’s about.”
Hrgovic agreed.
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There is much for Itauma to improve upon as he continues to fight so young.
Moses Itauma reacts beside trainer Ben Davison after his defeat to Filip Hrgovic in their IBF world heavyweight title fight.
(Richard Pelham via Getty Images)
“I didn’t know he was so good,” Hrgovic said, praising Itauma for his speed. “Honestly, I’ve never been in the ring with someone like him. But he’s inexperienced. I saw from the first round that he was breathing hard, throwing too hard. Fighting like an amateur.
“I knew I had to endure as he would get tired, and I would get him in the later rounds.”
Hrgovic added: “He can be better if he learns a professional style of fighting.”
It raises the question — how?
“Use his legs and box,” Hrgovic said. “He was winning all the rounds. He went toe-to-toe with me, and it was a very stupid move from him. Inexperienced. He’s an amazing fighter but he’s still young.
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“He’s fast but I didn’t feel his power. He needs to work on his power to sit down on his punches.”
With former heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in their twilight years, much was expected of Itauma — especially after his highlight-reel knockout wins over Mariusz Wach, Dillian Whyte and Jermaine Franklin.
It turned out, though, that Hrgovic was too tough of a test for Itauma to pass at just 21 years old.
“He needs to pace himself,” Hrgovic advised. “Adjust to professional boxing. He’s an amazing talent and I believe he’ll be world champion, but he needs more time.
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“For him, [my] advice is to not give up, get through some easy fights and easy wins and build again. To learn from these mistakes. You can’t box like an amateur. It’s a 12-round fight and he needs to pace himself because it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
As for Hrgovic, the next leg of the race opens up.
There is a mandatory challenger with the IBF — Cuban contender Frank Sanchez — already calling, but Hrgovic has his eyes on a unification prize.
On the same night Hrgovic finished Itauma, Queensberry confirmed the rematch between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley for the WBO heavyweight championship. Wardley surrendered the WBO belt to Dubois in a bruising battle back in May. They’ll fight again on Oct. 17. Hrgovic seemingly wants the winner, especially if it’s Dubois — whom he lost to by eighth-round knockout in 2024.
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“Filip wants to fight in Croatia,” Warren said. “He wants a unification fight. But we’re contractually obliged for Sanchez, or maybe [Sanchez] wants to step aside — we’ll see.”
Hrgovic said the Itauma victory means he’s now beaten “four Brits in a row.” But he soon wants to make it five. “Next is Dubois,” he said. “Rematch.”
As for Itauma, Warren expects the sharks may now circle.
“That aura of invincibility at the moment is gone, and people will look at that. Maybe [this will] make it easier to make fights for him,” the promoter finished.
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