Moses Itauma is in good spirits after a scary end to the first loss of his pro boxing career.
Itauma challenged Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title. While Itauma certainly looked the part in the early going, he eventually faded down the stretch. This allowed Hrgovic to make an improbable comeback to stop Itauma in the ninth round.
While the come from behind victory left fans inside The O2 Arena stunned, there was some concern in the aftermath. Itauma was stretchered out and hospitalized, but it appears this was a precautionary measure and the defeated heavyweight is holding his head high.
In a video posted on the Tunnel Culture Instagram page, Itauma took his first loss on the chin and said he gained valuable experience (via Bloody Elbow).
“So yesterday wasn’t my night,” Itauma said. “We attempted greatness and we just fell short to the more experienced man. I want to say congratulations to Filip Hrgovic on his win and although I never reached my desired outcome I believe I gained experience that I will take into future fights.
“I want to thank the fans in and outside the arena, you guys made it a little more special and a little bit more electrifying than I expected. It was a f—ing good fight and I want to thank Queensberry and DAZN for putting this show on.”
Itauma entered his fight against Hrgovic with a ton of hype, and some believe his stock didn’t take a significant hit despite falling short in his title bid. If Itauma can figure out how to avoid fading going forward, there’s still a strong belief that he can hold a world championship in the future.
Do you think Moses Itauma will bounce back after suffering the upset loss to Filip Hrgovic? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
