Frank Warren prepares for talks with Moses Itauma after defeat
Frank Warren is preparing for crunch talks with Moses Itauma over his next move after revealing the youngster may demand an immediate rematch with Filip Hrgovic, reports BritPanorama.
Itauma suffered the first defeat of his professional career after dramatically running out of energy during his IBF heavyweight title fight at London’s O2 Arena. The 21-year-old controlled much of the contest but was stopped in the ninth round after abandoning his jab and repeatedly attempting to knock out his experienced Croatian opponent.
Having never previously fought beyond six rounds, Itauma exhausted himself before being caught by Hrgovic and carried from the ring on a stretcher. He was taken to hospital following the contest but was later discharged and released a video thanking his supporters.
Warren must now decide how best to rebuild one of British boxing’s brightest prospects. However, the Queensberry promoter expects Itauma’s competitive nature to make him push for another immediate shot at the new champion. “I think we’ve got to let him sort himself out and see how he is,” Warren told The Sun. “I mean, he’s got a problem with his leg. He definitely had a problem with his leg.”
Warren believes Itauma’s determination to secure a spectacular stoppage ultimately caused his downfall. The veteran promoter could be heard urging the southpaw to return to his jab and keep Hrgovic off balance, but his instructions went unheeded. “He got clipped and that was it. He was trying very hard to knock him out,” Warren explained.
“I was screaming at him, ‘Just use your jab, keep him on the back foot, keep him off balance.’ But he was determined to knock him out, and that was the undoing, to be quite honest.” Hrgovic survived several dangerous moments before his patience and resilience were rewarded during the closing stages. Warren acknowledged that Itauma’s lack of experience became apparent once fatigue took hold, with the Briton continuing to stand at range instead of attempting to smother his opponent’s attacks.
“When he was in trouble, he didn’t have the thing to walk on, close the gap or anything,” he said. “He was still standing back and letting shots go rather than trying to narrow the gap and nullify him. He just didn’t do that. He was in control and he stopped using his jab. That was the problem.”
Despite the alarming nature of the defeat, Warren remains confident Itauma can recover and eventually become a world champion. He pointed towards Daniel Dubois and David Haye as prominent British fighters who overcame damaging losses early in their careers before reaching the top. “He’ll come back,” he insisted. “He’s a young man and I’m sure he’ll come back and he’ll learn from it.”
Hrgovic, meanwhile, is expected to face Cuban contender Frank Sanchez under the terms agreed before his bout with Itauma. In a sport where the road to success is fraught with pitfalls, Itauma’s journey may be just beginning, underscoring the reality that even the brightest prospects must navigate the harsh lessons of defeat.
