MOSES ITAUMA DESCRIBES FILIP HRGOVIC DEFEAT

Moses Itauma said he struggled to accept his defeat by Filip Hrgovic in an IBF heavyweight world title fight in August. He spoke at the launch of his brother Karol’s Club Eight gym in Medway. “For a long time, I couldn’t accept the fact that it happened, because I was winning the fight so comfortably,” Itauma said. Accounts differ on whether his advantage lasted seven or eight rounds. Hrgovic stopped him in the ninth round, and Itauma left the ring on a stretcher.

Itauma said his body began to shut down suddenly and that he had felt no warning earlier in the fight. He described moving in slow motion while Hrgovic appeared to move quickly. He attributed the change to exhaustion but said he had not felt he was making mistakes before then. Itauma said Hrgovic’s durability stood out, though his skills had not surprised him. He cited his earlier knockout of Jermaine Franklin as an example of his ability to hurt opponents whom others had not troubled.

Itauma said he remained proud of his performance given the knowledge, talent and experience he had at the time. He described the defeat as only the third round he had lost in his boxing career. He said boxing remained central to his identity and that the loss would not change that. Itauma acknowledged that Hrgovic had done what he needed to win. “I’ll be back,” he said.