Moses Itauma update as boxing star is stretchered out of ring after world title defeat

Moses Itauma was stretchered out of the ring as his world title dream was crushed by Filip Hrgovic in London.

The 21-year-old sensation was taken to hospital immediately after his ninth round stoppage in an extraordinary contest at the O2 Arena.

His promoter Frank Warren also suggested he had suffered a leg injury after punching himself out to the point of exhaustion.

Itauma was aiming to become the second youngest heavyweight world champion in history up against the experienced Croatian with the vacant IBF title on the line.

Itauma blasted Hrgovic with brutal shots throughout the first half of the fight, winning every round in a dominant display.

Hrgovic’s iron chin absorbed the biggest and baddest shots Itauma threw, however.

The Chatham fighter had won all 14 of his previous bouts, 12 of those via knockout, but there were questions how he might cope when taken into deep waters against an experienced and durable operator like his opponent.

The youngster had never fought beyond the sixth round before tonight with his tank quickly emptying in the eighth round where Hrgovic smelt blood.

Itauma was suddenly spent in the ninth, barely able to stand up with the fight swinging dramatically in Hrgovic’s favour. Itauma continued to swing, but was no longer finding the target as he staggered wildly around the ring.

Hrgovic saw his opportunity with only the ropes holding Itauma upright as heavy blows came in.

With nothing left in his utterly exhausted fighter, Itauma’s trainer Ben Davison mercifully threw in the towel just as referee Howard Foster stepped in to stop the fight.

Itauma was immediately attended to by the ringside doctor and paramedics and was carried backstage on a stretcher to be taken to hospital.

Itauma’s promoter Frank Warren later revealed his fighter was struggling with a leg injury during the contest.

‘This was an unbelievable fight tonight. The champ prevailed and did what he had to do. Moses [Itauma] gave everything, he has a leg injury. He has to go back to the drawing board and he can come again,’ Warren said.

‘Towards the end, Moses wasn’t trying to hold or anything he was throwing punches and he got clipped. He started off well and what happened, happened. That’s boxing. It was a great fight.’

Warren added in the post-fight press conference: ‘Moses has gone to hospital. He has done something to his leg.

‘Obviously he has to be checked over, it was a brutal fight.

‘He did something to his leg and he was knackered as well. It was a very fast-paced fight.’

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