Filip Hrgovic: Moses Itauma's Humiliation Could Make Him Unbeatable
Moses Itauma might become virtually unbeatable if he can process the "humiliation" of his IBF heavyweight title loss, according to Filip Hrgovic, who defeated the Briton in August.
Hrgovic, 34, stopped Itauma, the pre-fight favorite, in the ninth round at the O2 Arena.
Initially, Itauma seemed to control the fight. Hrgovic even hit the canvas in the second round and admitted he was "outboxed" early on.
Hrgovic found his rhythm as Itauma tired. He highlighted that the 21-year-old southpaw possesses such skill that learning from this loss could lead to a highly successful career.
"He's really good. He's special. Very fast, very talented, and he countered everything I tried with his speed and timing," Hrgovic stated.
"I've never faced a kid this talented, this fast, in my career. Some fast fighters are smaller heavyweights; you can handle them with power. But this kid is fast and big. He has great ring intelligence and immense talent."
"I'm still somewhat annoyed because he outboxed me. In my 20 years of boxing, I've never been outboxed, not in sparring, not in a fight."
Hrgovic, who aims to unify the division, acknowledged Itauma's boxing prowess but questioned his mental fortitude.
"It was a massive shock for him, a huge humiliation. His career might end if he's not mentally tough. If he can recover mentally from this loss, it will be incredibly difficult for anyone to beat him again," Hrgovic added.
"Many fighters never recover after a loss like that. It will be a tough path for him to come back."
"He needs to endure a brutal, demanding training camp. He must go through hell to be mentally prepared. I believe he was physically ready, but the mental aspect is crucial."
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