Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgović & Sam Noakes vs. Denys Berinchyk + Nelson Hysa vs. Thomas Narmo RBR.

I missed it British glass?
Young and inexperienced?
Overrated?
All of the above?

 

He took some terrible blows. Don't blame it all on fatigue. Even in one of the early rounds, when Filip landed an exchange and improved slightly, it was clear that it was making an impression on Itauma.
In the final stages, he started landing some really powerful shots in the exchanges, and not everyone is named Hrgovic.
His body didn't react as if he were "exhausted" but rather as if he were severely injured by the blows.

I also tried to post a bit on the forum during the fight so I didn't focus on what was on screen during breaks, but from what I noticed, they didn't show much of Filip's powerful shots, mainly showing what he was landing from Moses. This is a tactic, but also a mistake. I suspect that good slow-motion replays could clearly show some why Itauma completely lost control so quickly. When the exchanges started, he landed some really clean punches.
Suggesting he has no jaw is also a huge exaggeration. There's no one like Filip, but in that respect, he's probably been number one for years, which I also wrote about.

It wasn't just fatigue. The blows made his legs feel like noodles. Perhaps replays of those blows will still be available somewhere, although since the official broadcast was so opaque, it could be a different story.

 

Usyk is not hrgovic. Taking all those shots might not have been possible for usyk. Riling itauma up like hrgovic did would not have quite been usyk's style.
So there is a chance that the usyk who looked extremely bad against verhoeven might have been ko'ed by itauma. Not necessarily over 50% but a chance nonetheless..

 

Largely inexperience. Failed to pace himself and put everything into every shot, but Hrgovic's chin is so immense that he could take it all. Moses couldn't sustain it over the full fight and Hrgovic after preserving his energy throughout most of the fight made him completely punch himself out in the 8th and 9th. Shades of Homer Simpson from Filip

 

Could have been the case, but we're talking about verhoeven usyk and it is anyone's guess whether a verhoeven just was so unconventional that he was able to hit usyk so easily, maneuvering him into right hands by getting the outside position on him - which should have been impossible - or if itauma could have done way better than that

 

When did Joyce fight Wardley?

 

That's the thing with boxing a fighter can be bested in a fight by a more skilled fighter for 99% of the fight and in a single punch be defeated. Marciano was not better than Walcott but he won Chavez was not better than Taylor but he won Toney was not better than Nunn but he won....Hrgovic was not better than Itauma but he won.

I like Hrgovic and had higher expectations for him when he turned pro and glad to see him finally make it. I wonder if Itauma can come back mentally, you and I have seen very good fighters not handle a loss well and fall apart but unlike the Chavez-Taylor loss Hrgovic did not beat the prime out of him.

We will know if Itauma is thrown back to the wolves where or not he is the real deal worth developing or did they all cash out on him early

 

Nah. Usyk is as quick as Moses but got 1000% more expirence. Filip is slower than thoose guys. Usyk will never eat some many shoots. His foot will make him safe.
This will be probably 2-3 maybe 4 even rounds and then Usyk will control it. Moses got perfect potential but need to have time to imprvoe.

In boxing sometimes 1 bad decision about who You facing can destrony Your carrer. Look at Joyce vs Zhang (horrible mistake) or Kownacki vs Hellenius. You must be very smart. They wont, with this all Itauma next Ali/Tyson talk... They overlooked someone like Hrgovic. Many people saying it will be 2-3 rounds, easy fight...

 

Hrgovic took him out to deep waters and drowned him.

He boxed well enough to keep himself in the fight (his iron chin helped). He applied a slow, steady pressure, pacing himself well. Itauma hit the wall hard in that 8th round after trying to take Hrgovic out. Reminded me of when Wlad hit the wall against Brewster.

Itauma can come back, he is a phenomenal talent, but experience won the day.