Fans combing through old footage have dug up a clip that looks a lot more significant now than it did a few weeks ago, an interview in which Moses Itauma casually admitted he had never sparred a full 12 rounds before stepping in with Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.
The unbeaten prospect lost that match by ninth-round stoppage at London’s O2 Arena.
In the clip, Itauma is asked directly how many rounds he had gone in training and whether he trusted his conditioning for a match that could go the full distance. His answer was blunt.
“If I’d be completely honest, I don’t know if I’ve done a 12 round spar I’m out of but I wouldn’t recall. I will not recall that.”
He seemed to know exactly how that would land with fans once it got out.
“I’m about to get slaughtered in the comments.”
Pressed on whether he had any curiosity about testing himself over 12 rounds just to know what it felt like, Itauma shut the idea down without hesitation.
“Absolutely not. There’s no need to be in the ring longer than you need to be. Whether I knock Filip Hrgovic in the first or the last, I’m still going to get paid the same.”
That mindset made sense for a boxer who had built his reputation on early finishes. Itauma turned pro in January 2023 and blew through the opening stretch of his career, winning his debut in just 23 seconds and stopping 12 of his first 14 opponents inside six rounds, eight of those inside the opening round.
At just 21 years old and 224 lbs (101.6 kg) of heavyweight power, he arrived at the Hrgovic match with a 14-0 record and a real chance to become the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history. Against Hrgovic, for the first time in his career, he had to find out what round seven, eight and nine actually felt like.
Itauma started fast and controlled long stretches of the contest, using his hand speed and power to outwork the 34-year-old Croatian for the majority of the rounds. But once he pushed past the sixth round, uncharted territory for him as a professional, his output dropped off sharply.
Trainer Ben Davison reportedly considered stopping the match early in the ninth as Itauma struggled to keep his footing, and moments later referee Howard Foster halted the contest with Itauma unable to hold himself up without leaning on the ropes. Hrgovic became Croatia’s first heavyweight world champion.
With the newly surfaced interview now circulating alongside that criticism, it is easy to see why.
The ending to Moses vs Hrgovic that no one expected 👀#MosesHrgovic 🤳 pic.twitter.com/pLAPvwt4D6
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 29, 2026
