‎By Teddy Nwanunobi

‎Nigerian-British Moses Itauma’s ambition of becoming second-youngest world heavyweight champion ended brutally in the late hours of Saturday, at the O2 Arena in London, after Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic recovered in the ninth round to become the first Croatian to win the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

‎The defeat to the 34-year-old Croatian, which saw the 21-year-old leave the ring on a stretcher, was his first professional defeat, having previously recorded 13 wins, with 12 wins coming by way of knockouts.

‎Itauma, one of the sport’s most talked about young talents, had started like a man intent on an early night and for six rounds barely lost a minute.

‎It looked like he was on course for success after a right hook to the temple rocked Hrgovic inside the opening minute, followed by a second-round left hook that forced the Croatian to steady himself with a glove on the canvas.

‎Itauma had won every round heading into the second half of the fight but that wasn’t telling the full story.

‎Everything Itauma landed, including a fifth-round left uppercut detonated flush on the point of the chin, was absorbed by a man who had been in the deep waters before, and the effort of trying to move the immovable was draining the younger man with every round he banked.

‎The seventh round took Itauma beyond six rounds for the first time in his career, and the eighth broke him. Sensing his chance, he emptied the tank in a sustained assault, but Hrgovic stood firm and absorbed the punishment, leaving the young challenger almost completely spent.

‎Within a minute of the ninth, Itauma was out on his feet, unable to hold himself steady as Hrgovic came forward, and his corner threw the towel with their man defenceless. He was attended by medical staff in his corner afterwards having given everything he had.

‎”Let me ask my young friend something. Is a chin important? Chin is important.

‎“Let me tell you something. It was not me tonight. It was Jesus Christ in me. Holy Spirit. Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. It was not me. I was losing every round. I was outboxed. And I don’t know from where I got energy in that ninth round. And it was really not my strength. It was the Holy Spirit.

‎”He’s an amazing fighter – I want to thank him. To give me a chance to become a new superstar in the heavyweight division. I am the present. He is definitely the future.

‎”He is the best I have been in the ring with, but he needs more experience. I knew I was losing the round, but I knew that I had the pace in my favour. He needs more experience, but he is one of a kind.

‎”From the first round, I saw him gassing out. He started fast, I knew he was going to gas out. I knew when my chance came, I needed to push. That is what I did,” Hrgovic said.