Exhausted Moses Itauma’s world title dream in tatters as corner throw in towel to hand underdog Hrgovic stunning win

PUNCHED-OUT Moses Itauma suffered a sickening stoppage loss after underdog Filip Hrgovic stunned him with a ninth-round attack. Croatia’s 2016 Olympic bronze winner was supposed to be the ultimate step-up opponent and a genuine threat to Itauma’s hype train. But he lost all of the first seven rounds in an incredible clash for the vacant IBF heavyweight world title. A right hand in round eight changed all of that, though. MOSES ITAUMA VS FILIP HRGOVIC: LIVE COVERAGE Itauma, the kid he vowed to “smash back to high school” was knocked out on his feet and he took a beating in the ninth before he was rescued by the ref — just as the towel was thrown in. It was an astonishing comeback win for Hrgovic that saw Itauma, 21, stretchered out of the ring. READ MORE ON BOXING Respected Brits from Olympic silver-winner Joe Joyce to dangerous contender David Adeleye and tough gatekeeper Dave Allen were all beaten up by “El Animal” Hrgovic in the last 16 months. He had looked superb against Daniel Dubois too but was stopped on cuts. Friday’s weigh-in was the first time ice-cool customer Itauma got heated, shoving Hrgovic off the Spitalfields market stage. His rival slapped him in retaliation and in the opening rounds it looked the worst mistake he could have made. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Instead of intimidating the prospect 13 years his junior, he lit a fire that he could not live with, let alone extinguish. But one huge right hand changed that and the whole trajectory of British boxing. Because Itauma was out on his feet for a full couple of minutes, shipping shots and slowly succumbing in front of the O2 sell-out crowd his early promise had built. Superstars were ringside for the milestone fight. Noel Gallagher tipped an early Itauma win before WBO heavyweight king Dubois got in the ring to announce his heavyweight rematch with dethroned Fabio Wardley on October 17. AJ and the Gypsy King — while dragging their feet over their November 20 targeted clash — chose to stay away. Howard Foster was the ref between almost 35st of muscle and testosterone as the Slovakia-born Kent sensation and 6ft 6in Croat went to war. The visitor was bidding to become his nation’s first ever heavyweight world champ as Itauma was on track to take over the mantle of British boxing. After the national anthems, Hrgovic chose to stick a few punches on his own chin, in an effort to brace himself for the oncoming onslaught. Itauma carried that on as the Brit’s early work was a brilliant blur of rasping jabs and drove lefts down low. A right hook from the Kent southpaw clipped Hrgovic around the temple and he stumbled. Itauma went long left to the body and lead hook to the head, it was superb work beyond his years. Hrgovic was punished as soon as the second started with a right hook around the nut again that dropped him for a count of eight. But the Croat was no pushover, he pressured and punched but compared to Itauma it looked like his limbs were moving through treacle. It was not just attacking excellence either, Itauma was ducking, blocking and rolling shots in the second and third. But he was caught by the biggest punch of his young career when Hrgovic clipped him with a lead left hook. Hrgovic’s granite chin was impressing everyone in the fourth but the paper-thin skin on his eyebrows was tearing. The Croat did land a big right hand but it did him no favours as Itauma wrestled back the round. The Englishman walked Hrgovic on to a thudding left hand in the fifth but the underdog visitor left a red mark under his right eye. Itauma’s gumshield came loose toward the end of the thrilling session and became a distraction but he manhandled it back into his mouth. Hrgovic’s resilience was costing rounds and brain cells by the minute. But toward the end of the sixth he landed his best combination while Itauma was on the ropes. It looked like the Chatham man was buzzed but he stood his ground and slashed back and was only stopped from the barrage by the bell. The breeze block atop Hrgovic’s shoulders got pounded again in the seventh, it was a miracle he was still standing after a range of rapid shots. Round eight was wild, Itauma battering Hrgovic all over the ring, making him look like a punchbag. But with just a few seconds remaining, the red-hot favourite was whacked and he lost some of his senses, his hands went down and he started to pull some worrying faces. He started the ninth in the same terrible tangle and was battered all over the ring, his legs gone, his arms flaying, his life in serious danger. The referee and the towel arrived at the same time to save the beleaguered wonderboy from a life-changing beating. And Hrgovic revealed “knew from round one” that Itauma would “gas out” later in the fight. Hrgovic said: “I was losing every round, I was getting outboxed but somehow I found the energy and the punch to change it all. “I was in the best shape of my life. I ask him now, is a chin important? A chin is important. “He is an amazing fighter, he gave me the chance to fight for the world title and he will be back in the future. “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. “I knew from the first round that he would gas out and then I would push and that’s what I did. “My wife is my biggest support, my angel, my guardian, I thank her for everything.” Warren confirmed Hrgovic would face Frank Sanchez next as the winner was ordered to face the Cuban.