But before the fight, F. Hrgovičius was considered a clear underdog – M. Itauma is one of the most highly regarded young heavyweights in the world.
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21-year-old M. Itauma demonstrated great speed, accuracy, and power from the very beginning, and in the second round sent F. Hrgovičius to the knockout. The Brit controlled the fight for a long time and seemed to be approaching one of the most important victories in his short career so far.
The turning point came in the eighth and ninth rounds. M. Itauma began to slow down, while F. Hrgovičius, on the contrary, preserved his strength and more often found a way through his opponent’s defense. In the ninth round, the Croatian launched a powerful series of attacks, pinned his opponent against the ropes, and no longer allowed him to defend effectively. Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight, and F. Hrgovičius was recorded a technical knockout (TKO).
“He is an amazing fighter, one of a kind. He is the best opponent I have ever been in the ring with. But he needs more experience. He just got tired too quickly,” said F. Hrgovičius after the fight.
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M. Itauma, who had never lost in the professional ring before, had never fought this long before. After the fight, he needed medical assistance – he was carried out of the ring on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. It was later reported that the boxer suffered a knee injury.
In case of victory, M. Itauma would have become the second youngest heavyweight champion of all time after the legendary Mike Tyson.
