Filip Hrgovic just flipped the heavyweight division on its head.
At London’s O2 Arena, Hrgovic stopped 21-year-old Moses Itauma in the ninth round to claim the vacant IBF heavyweight title and become Croatia’s first heavyweight world champion.
And early on, it looked like this fight was going the other way.
Itauma came in as the heavy favorite and looked the part. Fast combinations, plenty of pressure and enough power to put Hrgovic on the canvas. For the first several rounds, the young Brit appeared to be in control.
Then the fight got long.
Itauma had never gone beyond six rounds as a professional, and the pace started catching up with him. The sharp combinations slowed. The movement faded. Hrgovic was still there.
Bad combination against a heavyweight who can punch.
Hrgovic started landing heavy shots as Itauma tired, eventually staggering him badly enough in the ninth that Itauma’s corner threw in the towel.
Itauma was later taken from the ring on a stretcher, putting a sobering end to what had been the biggest fight of his young career.
For Itauma, a brutal lesson in heavyweight boxing. Looking dominant for six rounds and surviving a championship fight are two very different things.
For Hrgovic, the biggest win of his career.
World title around his waist. Croatia’s first heavyweight champion. And now a completely different level of attention with mandatory challengers and major heavyweight fights waiting.
Not a bad night for a guy who spent the early rounds looking like he might be the one going home disappointed.
