Hrgović defeats Itauma to win IBF title
Croatian boxer Filip Hrgović defeated British-Nigerian boxer Moses Itauma by technical knockout in the ninth round and won the vacant IBF world heavyweight title. The bout took place at the O2 Arena in London, Premium Times Nigeria reports.
Ninth-round stoppage
Itauma was considered the favorite for the fight. The undefeated 21-year-old boxer could have become the second-youngest world heavyweight champion in boxing history.
At the start of the bout, Itauma posed a threat to his opponent, but Hrgović later seized the initiative. According to the publication, Itauma spent a great deal of energy maintaining the pace and was already struggling to stay on his feet in the later rounds.
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A historic title for Croatia
In the ninth round, Hrgović increased the pressure on his exhausted opponent. The referee stopped the fight at 2 minutes and 27 seconds of the ninth round, recording the Croatian's victory by technical knockout.
For Hrgović, this is the biggest victory of his professional career. Premium Times Nigeria notes that he became the first Croatian boxer to win a world heavyweight title. Before this fight, Itauma had a record of 14 wins without defeats, including 12 knockouts, as well as a first-round knockout victory over former title challenger Dillian Whyte.
