Boxing
Hrgovic stuns Itauma to become IBF champion in nine-round war
Garcia vs Benn: Exclusively in the UK on DAZN PPV
LONDON — Filip Hrgovic weathered everything Moses Itauma had to throw at him to seize the IBF heavyweight title in a brutal nine-round win at London's The O2 Arena.
The Croatian, a five-to-one outsider at the first bell, upset the odds to become his country's first-ever glamour-division champion and deny the Briton his place in history.
Long tipped as a future blue-riband kingpin, Moses had hoped to achieve what many have seen as a preordained destiny since he swatted Dillian Whyte aside in Riyadh.
But instead, he missed out on the chance to join Mike Tyson as the second-youngest title holder in the sport's top weight class after the longest fight of his professional career.
Hrgovic stuns Moses to become IBF champion
Watch: Croatian upsets Briton to earn heavyweight crown
Visibly spent at the end of their contest, the star was subsequently taken from the ring on a stretcher and headed to hospital while Hrgovic remained to soak in the applause.
Success for the star not only helped shed his bridesmaid tag, but also sent a warning to rivals including WBO holder Daniel Dubois and WBC kingpin Agit Kabayel at ringside.
A likely clash with top-ranked challenger Frank Sanchez will await next - but after spoiling what was meant to be his opponent's intended coronation, he will take on all comers.
After a pair of pyrotechnic-strafed ringwalks - Hrgovic to Thompson's Geni Kameni , then Moses to Sister Nancy's Bam Bam  - both men got down to swift, bruising business.
Quick out of the traps, the latter clipped his opponent with a hook early, and repeatedly pursued him around the ring with a series of rattling blows right to the head and body.
A short one-two early in the second saw the home favourite score a knockdown after Hrgovic's right glove bounced off the canvas, further disarming the veteran's movement.
The 34-year-old wrestled some momentum back with increased contact in the third, helping to turn his opponent even as he wrestled with a steady swell forming on his brow.
Moses sought to reassume control in the fourth, keeping up a constant stream of pressure, but appeared to find frustration in the granite-like chin the Croatian repeatedly offered.
That teed up more of a see-saw across the fifth and the sixth, with the Briton starting to slow but still able to launch a late flurry of sharp blows in response to Hrgovic's own jabs.
Having taken his opponent into uncharted waters as a professional, the latter attempted to further draw more energy from him with a string of uptempo exchanges in the seventh.
It proved a workable gambit, with Moses further outlanding his foe in the eighth, but visibly flagging further as he attempted to detonate a knockout delivery and stop the bout.
He was unable to - and in a stunning ninth, Hrgovic sealed a remarkable turnaround as the 21-year-old was left exhausted against the ropes by several hooks straight to the face.
Twice, it appeared that his corner was poised to throw the towel in - and ultimately, referee Howard Foster saved them their job as he waved off the contest to incredulous roars.
Moses will come again, with a claim to be made he won nearly every round here. Yet he will be left to ruminate on a chastening lesson - and the cruelties of a sport he loves.
Ring MagazineWatch Garcia vs. Benn in the UK only on DAZN
Britain's Conor Benn looks to become a world champion for the first time against US superstar Ryan Garcia on Saturday, September 12. Watch the fight exclusively in the UK & Ireland on DAZN PPV or included in our Ultimate Tier subscription.
