Reaction as Hrgovic stuns Itauma with stoppage win

British heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma entered the ring with a perfect professional record of 14 wins and was widely expected to be crowned the sport's next big star, though Croatia's Filip Hrgovic was rightly seen as his toughest test yet. The seasoned 34-year-old delivered a stoppage defeat that few had predicted.

At just 21, Itauma had been aiming to become the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history and Britain's second-youngest world champion overall. However, his relative lack of experience against the more battle-tested Hrgovic proved decisive.

Interest in Itauma has been growing since he won his professional debut in a mere 23 seconds back in January 2023. A remarkable run of highlight-reel knockouts — 12 wins from his previous 14 fights, all coming inside six rounds — had rapidly pushed the Chatham-born fighter to world-title contention.

Despite the setback against Hrgovic, many in boxing still believe Itauma can eventually reach the top of the heavyweight division.

Support from fellow boxers

Four-weight world champion Shakur Stevenson took to X to praise Itauma's talent and skill, saying the young fighter would become a champion one day if he learns from the experience. Stevenson noted that Itauma's habit of throwing every punch at full power can be both an asset and a liability, particularly in the heavyweight division.

Former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew, who finished his own career fighting at heavyweight, also focused on the positives. Bellew said he believed Itauma would go on to become world champion and would learn a great deal from the fight. He praised Itauma's bravery and toughness against the notoriously durable Hrgovic, adding that Itauma still needs to learn how to pace himself over a full 12-round contest.