Filip Hrgovic produced one of the biggest upsets of the boxing year when he stopped highly rated British heavyweight Moses Itauma in the ninth round at The O2 in London. The victory gave Hrgovic the vacant IBF heavyweight title and made him the first Croatian fighter to become a world heavyweight champion.
As a result, it was a shocking result because Itauma was never beaten in the event and was one of the most talented young heavyweights in the sport. The British fighter was just 21 years old and had already established himself as a fast fighter. But against Hrgovic he had to go into territory he had rarely been in his professional life.
Itauma was confident and just started the fight with his speed and power. He landed a right hook to Hrgovic's temple in the first minute, briefly putting the Croatian under pressure. In the second round, another left hook caught Hrgovic cleanly and forced him to steady himself with a glove on the canvas.
Itauma had a total grip on the contest for most of the first half. His combinations were fast, accurate and powerful, and Hrgovic didn’t seem to match the younger fighter’s activity. Itauma’s fifth-round left uppercut was particularly strong, landing flush on Hrgovic’s chin. But despite the heavy shots coming in, the Croatian kept moving forward.
The momentum was changing with the fight going on. Itauma had already won the early rounds, but the sustained effort needed to keep such a high pace was starting to take a toll. The younger fighter was forced to work harder to retain his advantage and Hrgovic’s experience and durability would be very important as a result.
In the seventh round it was significant because Itauma went beyond six rounds for the first time in his professional career. The eighth round proved even more demanding. Itauma launched a sustained attack to finish the fight, but Hrgovic absorbed the pressure and refused to collapse. Instead, the Croatian continued applying pressure as Itauma's energy reserves rapidly diminished.
By the ninth round the fight had turned to Hrgovic’s favour. Itauma looked exhausted and struggled to keep his feet. Hrgovic continued to move forward with his opponent and continued attacking until Itauma’s corner decided enough was enough. The towel was thrown out and Hrgovic had won a stunning stoppage victory.
Medical staff attended to Itauma in his corner after the fight after a grueling performance in which he had done everything to win the fight. Although it ended his unbeaten professional record, the loss did not only end the unbeaten professional career of the young heavyweight, but also gave him a lot of experience which he could not attain through early victories alone.
Hrgovic said his opponent was a great fighter after the match and he said experience and persistence is critical in heavyweight boxing. Itauma's talent, he said, was no secret and the young fighter has big growth ahead.
For Hrgovic this was the biggest win in his career. He was established as an experienced and durable heavyweight with the stamina to bear sustained punishment and take advantage of the fact that his opponent was getting tired.
And the result also adds a new dimension to the heavyweight division. Now that Hrgovic has the IBF belt on his shoulders, so much attention will be focused on who might challenge him in the world title wars. His ability to survive Itauma’s early onslaught and regroup in the later rounds can be vital for him to establish himself as a player in the game.
For Itauma, that loss is something to learn from and not the end of his career. He had been one of boxing’s bright young talents early on and showed why: the fight showed pacing, endurance and experience and he learned a lot from it.
The victory of Hrgovic brought home boxing’s oldest lesson: a fighter can change at any point in time if an early favourite begins to lose energy. Itauma controlled most of the first half, but Hrgovic’s resilience, patience and experience helped him turn the fight around and win the world heavyweight championship.
