Moses Itauma Leaves Hospital After First Professional Defeat to Filip Hrgovic

Nigerian-British heavyweight Moses Itauma has returned home after being discharged from hospital following his first professional boxing defeat against Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic.

The 21-year-old was taken to hospital after suffering a ninth-round stoppage in the contest for the vacant IBF heavyweight championship at The O2 in London.

Itauma was carried out of the ring on a stretcher after becoming visibly exhausted during the closing rounds of the fight.

Queensberry Promotions, the promotional company run by Frank Warren, confirmed that Itauma was medically assessed before being allowed to return home to his family.

“Moses is well.

“He left the hospital last night and, after being checked over, he is now back home with his family,” the promotion said.

The defeat came despite Itauma enjoying considerable success during the earlier stages of the bout. He was reportedly ahead on the judges’ scorecards before Hrgovic produced a late turnaround.

Itauma’s fatigue became increasingly evident in the eighth round, allowing Hrgovic to apply greater pressure.

Referee Howard Foster brought the fight to an end at 2:27 of the ninth round after determining that Itauma could no longer adequately protect himself.

Warren said there had initially been concerns about Itauma’s leg after the fight, while also pointing to exhaustion caused by the intensity of the contest.

“Moses has gone to hospital,” Warren said.

“He has done something to his leg. He did something to his leg and he was exhausted, is the truth of it. It was a very fast-paced fight.”

The promoter said the experience should serve as a learning opportunity for the young heavyweight.

“He got caught and the fighting instinct was to stand there and let his shots go,” Warren said.

“That’s what it is at the top level. You have to tick all the boxes.

“He has got to learn from the fight and will hopefully do that.”

Hrgovic acknowledged that he had been outboxed for significant portions of the contest but said he managed to find the energy and decisive punch needed to change the fight.

“I was getting outboxed, but somehow I found the energy and the punch to change it all,” he said.

The Croatian also described Itauma as an exceptional talent and praised him despite his lack of experience at the highest level.

“He is the best fighter I have been in with but he needs more experience, he gassed out. I knew I had the pace in my favour. He gassed out but he is one of a kind.”

The loss ended Itauma’s unbeaten professional record and marked a significant setback for the highly regarded heavyweight. However, his promoter has indicated that the defeat is unlikely to derail his career, with the 21-year-old expected to learn from the experience and rebuild.

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