Online Reporter
The 21-year-old super-talent ran out of energy in his IBF heavyweight world title clash with the 34-year-old at the O2 on Saturday and was carried out on a stretcher.
After a brief hospital visit the Kent southpaw spent Sunday with his family and posted a video to the fans he credited with making his near-miss coronation a sensational showdown.
With no dark glasses to mask the bruises around his face, fearless Itauma said of the nine-round row: “Yesterday was not my night.
He said: “We attempted greatness and we just fell short to the more experienced man.
“I wanna say congratulations to Filip Hrgovic on his win and although I never reached my desired outcome, I believe I gained experience that I’ll take to my future fights.
“I wanna thank my fans in and outside of the arena. You guys made it a little bit more special and electrifying than I expected,. It was a f***ing good fight and I wanna thank Queensberry and DAZN for putting this show on.
“So, god bless, take care and I’ll be back.”
For seven rounds, it looked like the Brit was going to become the IBF heavyweight world champion.
However, Hrgovic withstood his biggest blows and was ready to pounce when Itauma not only began to gas, but found his tank completely empty.
Itauma was rushed to hospital after the contest through sheer exhaustion, but the 21-year-old was discharged in the early hours of the morning.
Now his promoter Frank Warren has the task of rebuilding his fighter to world title contention.
But the Queensberry supremo has done so before, most recently with Daniel Dubois who now sits as a two-time world champion after his shock early loss to Joe Joyce.
Itauma was winning every single round before his dramatic collapse in round eight where he just couldn’t take his own foot off the accelerator.
Questions have been asked about Itauma’s team and specifically trainer Ben Davidson in the wake of his staggering burnout.
However, the stunning upset seemingly didn’t shock Tyson Fury, who told Bloody Elbow: “It’s boxing, it happens.”
The heavyweight division has a lot of fights waiting for Itauma, who has already blown past a perennial contender like Dillian Whyte on the way to his 14-1 record.
Fabio Wardley and Dubois will battle for the WBO heavyweight title belt once again. Fury and Anthony Joshua, one way or another, are scheduled to meet in November.
Hrgovic would like the winner of the former and attempt to unify, but a date with the dangerous Agit Kabayal likely awaits.
And then we have Oleksandr Usyk, the undoubted king of them all in the glamour division.
Whatever few fights he decides to take before calling time on his career will dictate the rest of the landscape. —Sun.
