Moses Itauma Breaks Silence After First Pro Defeat

British-Nigerian heavyweight Moses Itauma has promised to return stronger after suffering the first defeat of his professional boxing career against Filip Hrgovic at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, August 30.

The 21-year-old heavyweight was stopped by Hrgovic in the ninth round of their IBF world heavyweight title contest and was subsequently taken to hospital as a precaution after being carried out of the arena.

Itauma was discharged in the early hours of Sunday and later addressed the defeat in a video shared on Instagram.

Reflecting on the fight, Itauma acknowledged that the outcome was not what he had hoped for but said the experience would help him in future bouts.

“Saturday was not my night. We attempted greatness, and we just fell short to the more experienced man,” Itauma said.

He congratulated Hrgovic on the victory and expressed confidence that he would learn from the setback.

“I want to say congratulations to Filip Hrgovic on his win, and although I never reached my desired outcome, I believe I gained experience that I will take to my future fights,” he added.

The young boxer also thanked his supporters, Queensberry and DAZN before ending his message with a promise to return to the ring.

“God bless, take care, and I’ll be back,” Itauma said.

Itauma appeared to control significant portions of the contest before his energy levels dropped considerably in the eighth round. Hrgovic capitalised on the change in momentum and eventually forced the stoppage in the following round.

The result brought an end to Itauma’s unbeaten professional record, leaving him with 14 victories and one defeat. It was also the first time in his professional career that he had gone beyond six rounds.

Hrgovic praised Itauma after the fight but attributed the outcome partly to the young heavyweight’s limited experience in long-distance contests.

“He is the best fighter I have been in with, but he needs more experience; he gassed out,” the Croatian said.

Hrgovic added that he expected Itauma to tire and deliberately increased the pressure as the fight progressed.

“I knew from the first round that he would gas out and then I would push, and that is what I did,” he said.

Itauma’s promoter, Frank Warren, disclosed that the boxer suffered a leg injury during the contest and would need to improve aspects of his ring craft.

However, Warren maintained that Itauma remains one of the most talented young heavyweights in boxing and has a promising future in the sport.

Former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury also played down the significance of Itauma’s first professional defeat, describing the setback as part of the sport.

“It’s boxing, it happens,” Fury said.

Hrgovic similarly backed Itauma to eventually become a world champion, provided he learns how to manage his energy more effectively during longer fights.

Despite the setback, Itauma’s immediate message to his supporters suggests that he intends to use the experience as a learning opportunity as he begins the next chapter of his professional career.