Itauma breaks silence after first defeat, hospitalisation

British heavyweight boxer Moses Itauma broke his silence after suffering the first defeat of his professional career and being carried out of the ring on a stretcher following his IBF heavyweight title fight against Filip Hrgovic, GB News reported Monday.

The 21-year-old was taken to hospital as a precaution after exhaustion reportedly took hold during Saturday night’s contest at London’s O2 Arena, where Hrgovic stopped him in the ninth round.

Itauma was discharged in the early hours of Sunday and later posted a video message showing bruising around his face as he reflected on the defeat.

“Yesterday was not my night,” Itauma said in the video message.

“We attempted greatness and we just fell short to the more experienced man.

“I wanna say congratulations to Filip Hrgovic on his win and 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 had reportedly controlled much of the contest before his energy levels declined in the eighth round, allowing the experienced Croatian to take control and eventually end the fight in the ninth.

The defeat brought an end to Itauma’s unbeaten professional record, leaving him with 14 wins and one loss.

His promoter, Frank Warren, is now expected to oversee the rebuilding of the young heavyweight’s career following the setback.

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, meanwhile, played down the significance of Itauma’s first professional defeat, saying adversity was an inevitable part of the sport.

Speaking to Bloody Elbow, Fury said, “It’s boxing, it happens.”