Brand-new IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic candidly analyzed his stunning victory over Moses Itauma. In an interview with The Ring magazine, cited by Sport RBC.UA, the Croatian boxer explained how he managed to turn the tide in a bout in which he was losing on points for most of the fight. According to the champion, the key to success was the British fighter's poorly chosen pace, which drained him right from the opening stretch of the contest.
"Amateur Style" as a Fatal Mistake
Hrgovic admitted that Itauma was fighting like it was a short amateur bout rather than a full 12-round title fight. "My advice to him right now is, of course, not to give up and not to lose confidence in himself. You can't box in an amateur style — this is a 12-round fight. You need to pace yourself properly. This is a marathon, not a sprint. From the very first round I could see that he was breathing heavily because he was throwing too many punches. I knew I had to stay in there and hang on," the Croatian noted. It was precisely this "stay in there and wait" strategy that formed the backbone of his plan: instead of answering his opponent's rushes, the champion controlled the distance and conserved his energy.
The Turning Point at the End of Round Eight
According to Hrgovic, the turning point in the contest came at the end of the eighth round. It was only then that he first felt he had hurt his opponent, realizing that Itauma had completely run out of steam and had likely sustained an injury. "I first felt that I had hurt him at the end of the eighth round. I understood that this was my chance, and from the very start of the ninth I knew I had to go after it and finish him," the Croatian added. In the ninth round, the referee stopped the fight a second before Moses's corner threw in the towel, sealing Hrgovic's victory by knockout (stoppage) and the transfer of the IBF belt into his hands.
The Champion's Advice and Usyk's Reaction
After the bout, Hrgovic did not mock the loser and instead offered him practical advice: to fight a few easier bouts to rebuild his confidence and absorb the lessons of that evening. Earlier, Alexander Usyk reacted to Itauma's stunning defeat, also naming the main lesson of the British fighter's battle with the Croatian. Thus, a full-blown discussion has formed within the boxing community around this fight about how important it is to manage pace and resources in long title bouts.
Context of the Title Fight
The victory over Itauma earned Hrgovic the IBF heavyweight championship and confirmed his status as one of the division's top contenders. The fight itself was defined precisely by its "sensation": the British fighter was considered the favorite up to the turning point, but a mistake in pacing at the start and the subsequent exhaustion allowed the Croatian to execute his planned strategy and end the fight in the ninth round.
