British heavyweight boxer Moses Itauma has spoken up after facing his first loss as a professional. He was carried out on a stretcher after his IBF heavyweight title fight against Filip Hrgovic, according to GB News on Monday.
The 21-year-old went to the hospital as a safety measure after feeling exhausted during the fight on Saturday night at London's O2 Arena. Hrgovic stopped him in the ninth round.
Itauma was released from the hospital early on Sunday. He later shared a video showing bruises on his face while he talked about the loss.
“Yesterday was not my night,” Itauma said in the video.
“We attempted greatness and we just fell short to the more experienced man.
“I wanna say congratulations to Filip Hrgovic on his win. Although I never reached my desired outcome, I believe I gained experience that I’ll take to my future fights.
“I wanna thank my fans in and outside of the arena. You guys made it a little bit more special and electrifying than I expected. It was a f*****g good fight and I wanna thank Queensberry and DAZN for putting this show on.
“So, God bless, take care and I’ll be back.”
Itauma was in control for most of the fight before he started to tire in the eighth round. This allowed Hrgovic, who has more experience, to take charge and finish the fight in the ninth round.
This defeat has ended Itauma's unbeaten record, leaving him with 14 wins and one loss.
His promoter, Frank Warren, is set to help rebuild the young heavyweight’s career after this setback.
Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury downplayed the impact of Itauma’s first loss. He said facing challenges is a normal part of boxing.
Speaking to Bloody Elbow, Fury said, “It’s boxing, it happens.”
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