Filip Hrgovic lauded Moses Itauma after the surprising ninth‑round stoppage, but he also noted that the younger fighter boxed "like an amateur" throughout the bout. The 34‑year‑old Croatian made history on Saturday night at The O2, capturing the vacant IBF heavyweight crown and becoming Croatia’s inaugural world heavyweight champion. Itauma, a 21‑year‑old Briton who entered the ring unbeaten, dominated the opening half of the fight. He landed a series of crisp, accurate punches that kept Hrgovic on the back foot for the first six rounds.

However, as the contest wore on, the young challenger began to show signs of fatigue. He could not breach Hrgovic’s sturdy chin, and the seventh round marked the first occasion in his career that he had been forced beyond six rounds of action.

Seizing the momentum, Hrgovic unleashed a decisive assault in the ninth round, prompting the British fighter’s corner to throw in the towel. After the victory, the Croatian champion praised Itauma as perhaps the most talented heavyweight in the division, yet he cautioned that his style still resembled that of an amateur pugilist. Speaking to the media, Hrgovic said, "Let me be honest, he's amazing.

I didn't know it was going to be so hard; I thought I would handle him more easily. I was losing all the rounds.

The kid is amazing, he was so fast, you don't see his punches coming. He doesn't hit as hard, but he's quick.

Since the first round I saw he was gassing out, he was still boxing like an amateur. He's inexperienced, I saw he was gassing out and I knew my only chance was to stay there, make him tire, keep coming, and maybe stop him later. That's what I did." He added, "I came to London, his hometown, against the most talented guy in the division and I beat all the odds.

I want to be considered the best heavyweight in the world, and this is my time. I am the present and he is the future. I want to fight for unification against Dubois or Agit Kabayel.

Unification is my goal." Itauma entered the contest with a reputation as one of boxing's brightest young prospects, having earned early knockout victories that raised expectations. Yet the fight exposed a need for better pacing when confronting durable opponents who can survive past the midway point. After the stoppage, the 21‑year‑old was carried out on a stretcher and taken to a hospital as a precaution.

A statement from Queensberry Promotions on Sunday morning confirmed that Moses had been released from the hospital and was back home with his family. "Moses is well. He left the hospital last night and is back at home with his family," the spokesperson said. Promoter Frank Warren earlier emphasized the priority of the boxer’s health, noting, "That's what we always do to make sure because the most important thing is the boxer's health.

He's there and he's in the best place. We'll see what happens when I've got a report.

We'll obviously let everybody know. He did something to his leg as well and he was quite tired. It was a high‑paced, fast fight for both guys. It was edge‑of‑your‑seat stuff all the way through." Itauma had been aiming to become Britain's youngest heavyweight world champion, but Warren admitted that his future path is now uncertain.

"I don't know what he's going to say. I'm sure he's a fighting man. He showed that right to the end. At the end, that's the type of fight it was – they were standing there just letting bombs go.

I don't even know how he feels mentally. Mentally, he's going to be completely down.

We're going to have to talk to him, lift him up and see what he's like. It's going to take some time. He's going to have a nice break.

It's not even the time to talk about it with him at the moment. It's something we're probably doing in two weeks or even a month's time, see where we go with it." Looking ahead, Hrgovic now faces the IBF’s mandatory challenger, Frank Sanchez, as he seeks to solidify his reign and pursue unification bouts against other top heavyweights. The victory over Itauma, despite the younger fighter’s evident raw talent, underscores Hrgovic’s experience and strategic acumen, while also highlighting the developmental steps still required for the British prospect to fulfill his considerable potential.