Showing posts with label Moses Itauma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moses Itauma. Show all posts
Sunday, 30 August 2026
FILIP HRGOVIC CLAIMS HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE AS MOSES ITAUMA TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
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| Moses Itauma v Filip Hrgovic – The O2 Arena, © PA Wire/PA Images |
Moses Itauma was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure after his IBF world heavyweight title bid ended in a ninth-round stoppage by new champion Filip Hrgovic.
Itauma was carried from the ring on a stretcher following an explosive clash for the vacant belt at The O2 that saw Hrgovic become Croatia’s first champion in the division.
The 21-year-old from Kent was in complete command of the fight but had punched himself out in search of the knockout and was exhausted when referee Howard Foster came to his rescue with trainer Ben Davison also throwing in the towel.
“Moses has gone to the hospital for a check up,” promoter Frank Warren said.
“It’s precautionary that he’s gone to the hospital. 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’s done something to his leg as well and he was quite tired. It was a high paced, fast fight for both the guys. It was just edge of your seat stuff all the way through.”
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| Hrgovic and Itauma slugged it out in the final rounds (Steven Paston/PA) |
Itauma rained down blows on Hrgovic for the first seven rounds but the wily 34-year-old was able to soak up the punishment and then took control in the eighth and ninth rounds.
Showing a granite chin and enormous heart, he won the exchanges as the rivals went toe to toe and Itauma lurched across the ring until Foster intervened.
The clash had been billed ‘Witness History’ in anticipation of Itauma being crowned Britain’s youngest ever world heavyweight champion, but his career has stalled and Warren was unable to guarantee he would be back.
“I don’t know what he’s going to say,” Warren said. “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.
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| Itauma started well but tired (Steven Paston/PA) |
“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 and lift him 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.”
Hrgovic must now take on the IBF’s mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez, who was paid step aside money to enable him to face Itauma.
“I can’t believe it’s happening,” he said. My head is ringing from everything. It will take time for my feelings to settle. But I can’t believe that after 20 years I have my dream.
“God gave me the best possible gift to fight to win a world title against the best guy in the division. The most talented guy in the division. There is no better way for me to become a world champion.”
- Duncan Bech, Press Association
Tuesday, 4 August 2026
MOSES ITAUMA AND FILIP HRGOVIC TO FIGHT FOR VACANT IBF TITLE, FRANK SANCHEZ PAID TO STEP ASIDE
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| Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic square up on June 22, 2026 |
Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic, set to collide on August 29 at London, England’s O2 Arena, will now be fighting for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.
No. 3-ranked Itauma, 14-0 (12 KOs), had been ordered by the sanctioning body to face leading IBF contender, Frank Sanchez, after the bout with Hrgovic had already been signed and announced. And with the Croatian rated fourth by the organization, it has been agreed that they can instead do battle for the belt on the condition that the winner meets Sanchez in their first defense.
“We paid [Sanchez] some money,” promoter Frank Warren told the BBC. “We said whoever wins the fight, you’re not losing out and you’ll get the opportunity to fight for the title against the winner.”
The 34-year-old Cuban, 26-1 (19 KOs), had achieved mandatory status with the IBF by knocking out Richard Torrez Jnr in two rounds in May.
Hrgovic, 20-1 (15 KOs), is riding a three-fight win streak – beating Joe Joyce, David Adeleye and Dave Allen – and is regarded as 21-year-old Itauma’s toughest test to date.
Presuming Itauma-Hrgovic isn’t a draw, it means that Warren’s Queensberry Promotions – who handle both Itauma and Hrgovic, as well as WBC boss Agit Kabayel and WBO beltholder Daniel Dubois – will promote three of the four heavyweight beltholders come the end of the month. The WBA titlist, Murat Gassiev, had previously been expected to face Itauma later in the year.
"A lot of people have high expectations of [Itauma] as I have, by the way," Warren said. "We signed him when he was 16. He was an amateur. We sponsored him, and he turned professional with us.
"And he's been amazing and sort of taken the world by storm.”
The influx of heavyweight beltholders can of course be explained by Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish his three titles in June. Though the 39-year-old is plotting one last fight – likely against Deontay Wilder – the Ukrainian’s days of fighting elite opposition are over, it seems.
Kabayel and Gassiev saw their statuses rise by virtue of Usyk’s decision to step down. Dubois defeated Fabio Wardley to claim his belt after Wardley was handed the championship when Usyk gave up the WBO title last year.
The winner of Itauma-Hrgovic will be the first to claim one of Usyk’s old belts in the ring.
- BoxingScene
Thursday, 18 June 2026
MOSES ITAUMA SET TO RETURN AGAINST FILIP HRGOVIC AS DATE AND LOCATION REVEALED
Perhaps the most exciting prospect in world boxing, Moses Itauma, is set to make his much-anticipated return to the ring in a huge step-up in opposition.
The highly-rated Brit was last in action back in March when he became the first man to stop durable American heavyweight Jermaine Franklin in the fifth round of their clash at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester.
Itauma has had an impressive start to his professional career and remains unbeaten in 14 contests, producing victories over the likes of Mariusz Wach, Demsey McKean and Dillian Whyte since his debut in January of 2023.
The 21-year-old from Kent now looks to take the next step towards becoming a world heavyweight champion as he prepares to tackle the toughest test of his career to date.
As reported by Sky Sports Boxing, Itauma will lock horns with Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday August 29, with a launch press conference expected to take place in the next couple of days.
Hrgovic could pose a serious threat to Itauma having suffered just one career defeat so far, an eighth round stoppage to reigning WBO world heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois in June of 2024.
The hard-hitting Croatian made his return to the ring last month when he proved to be too much for popular British heavyweight Dave Allen, stopping him in the third round of their clash at the Eco-Power Stadium in Doncaster, England.
Whilst he is faced with what is certain to be the toughest test of his career, a victory for Itauma will see him move into pole position for a world title shot, which could come against WBO champion Dubois.
- Kailem Lowe
Wednesday, 23 July 2025
Wednesday, 18 December 2024
OLEKSANDR USYK VS. TYSON FURY 2: SCHEDULE, STATS, VENUE, WHAT'S AT STAKE
When Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a split decision, it was the first time in 25 years there had been an undisputed heavyweight boxing champion.
The first fight was a thrilling, breathless affair, and it is no wonder a rematch was called for almost instantaneously. There are simply still so many questions for both fighters to answer.
Will Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs), a former undisputed cruiserweight champion, make more history and prove he is truly the best of this generation? Or will Fury (34-1-1 24 KOs) turn things around and avenge the only defeat of his career to date?
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the fight.
Key details:
Date: Saturday. The event is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. GMT, with the main event ring walks slated to start around 10 p.m. GMT.
Venue: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh.
How to watch: The fight is available to purchase on pay-per-view across Sky Sports and TNT Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.K. and United States. ESPN will also have live updates of the fight.
What belts are at stake?
Usyk relinquished his IBF title in June, with Daniel Dubois becoming champion and defending the belt against Anthony Joshua in September. However, the Ukrainian still holds the three other main belts (WBA, WBO & WBC). These will be up for grabs on Saturday.
While Usyk will want to show his victory was no fluke, Fury is in unchartered territory, coming off a defeat for the first time in his professional career. The Brit will be desperate to avenge the loss and capture the belts for himself, while at the same time inflicting a first professional loss to his opponent.
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| Usyk scored a knockdown against Fury in Round 9 of their first fight. Mohammed Saad/Anadolu via Getty Images |
What happened last time?
While Usyk won via split decision, there are those that say he won it more convincingly, and those who are adamant it was a close fight. Judge Craig Metcalfe scored the fight 114-113 to Fury, while Manuel Oliver Palermo had it 115-112 in favour of Usyk. Mike Fitzgerald scored it 114-113, also in favour of the Ukrainian.
While Fury started well in the eyes of many, and certainly had the better of Rounds 5,6 and 7, the fight swung in Round 8 -- when Fury was caught on the nose with a left hand -- and Round 9, when Usyk scored a knockdown and had Fury scrambling, his legs seemingly gone, only to be saved by the bell.
However, as he has shown before, Fury has a remarkable ability to bounce back and recovered well, winning the 12th round on all three official scorecards.
Usyk, too, was visibly beaten up after the fight, proving it was a brutal bout regardless of the outcome.
Fury has admitted he may have gotten complacent during the fight, producing some trademark showmanship when he should have been dialled in. All this leads to an intriguing rematch on Saturday.
Statistics
Usyk outlanded Fury 170-157 in total punches in the first fight; the 170 landed punches were the most by any Fury opponent.
The knockdown in Round 9 was the eighth time Fury has hit the canvas in his career.
His victory made Usyk the third fighter in the four-belt era to be undisputed champion in two divisions after Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue.
Who is on the undercard?
Light middleweight: Serhii Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) vs. Ishmael Davis (13-1, 6 KOs)
Heavyweight: Moses Itauma (10-0, 8 KOs) vs. Demsey McKean (22-1, 14 KOs)
Heavyweight: Johnny Fisher (12-0, 11 KOs) vs. David Allen (23-6-2, 18 KOs)
Featherweight: Isaac Lowe (25-2-3, 8 KOs) vs. Lee McGregor (14-1-1, 11 KOs)
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| Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will face off in a rematch on Saturday. Andrew Redington/Getty Images |
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