Hrgovic Defeats Itauma in Underdog Fight, Challenges World Championship Ambitions
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Hrgovic, who entered the fight around a +500 underdog, struggled with the speed of the 21-year-old Itauma throughout much of the fight. Itauma hit him with every thing he could think of and scored a second-round knockdown that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the night.
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BBC SportThe referee waved off the fight as Itauma's corner threw in the towel in the ninth round. But for long spells, Itauma was the quicker, sharper and more assured fighter, repeatedly finding Hrgovic with the left hand and showing exactly why so many inside boxing believe he has the tools to reach the very top.
Sky SportsIt looked like Itauma's bid to become Britain's second-youngest world champion 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.
The Guardian SportHrgovic pointed to the inexperience of Itauma which cost him at such a crucial period after he had built a wide lead on the scorecards. “He’s just a kid. He could have boxed [at range] for the last few rounds. Use his legs, box. He was winning all the rounds. But he went toe-to-toe with me in round [nine]. It was a stupid move from him. Very stupid. But it’s inexperience. He’s an amazing fighter, but he’s still young.”
ESPNHrgovic stuns Itauma to win IBF heavyweight title Filip Hrgovic produced a courageous performance to stop Moses Itauma in Round 9 of their title contest to become Croatia's first ever heavyweight world champion on Saturday.
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Saturday 29 August 2026 23:18, UK Luke Humphries suffered a shock 6-3 defeat to Dirk van Duijvenbode in the second round of the Hungarian Darts Trophy as the tournament favourite crashed out of Budapest on Saturday night.
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BBC SportPublished Top seed Luke Humphries suffered a shock 6-3 defeat by Dirk van Duijvenbode in the second round of the Hungarian Darts Trophy.
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Van Duijvenbode, 34, ranked 21st in the world, hit a superb 140 checkout when leading 4-3 to claim the victory.
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Sky SportsVictory ended Van Duijvenbode's nine-match losing run against the world No 2, the Dutchman reeling off four consecutive legs from 3-2 adrift and averaging 98."
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Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen recovered from a 3-1 deficit to beat James Hurrell 6-4 and avoid an early exit.
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Sky SportsElsewhere, Michael van Gerwen recovered from 3-1 down to beat James Hurrell 6-4 and keep alive his bid for a second Hungarian Darts Trophy crown, sealing his place in Sunday's finals day.
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Where did it go wrong? It would be too simplistic - and unfair - to say Hrgovic won the fight purely through mind games, but the 34-year-old had succeeded in making the build-up uncomfortable.
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The Guardian SportAsked if it had always been his plan to take the bout into the later rounds, Hrgovic shook his head. “No, I thought I’m gonna connect more from the beginning, but I couldn’t match his speed. He’s very fast. I didn’t see his punches coming. I didn’t see his counters coming. I thought it was gonna be easier but I just couldn’t land.”
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With the vacant IBF title on the line, victory would have made Itauma the second-youngest world champion in the division's history.
6 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Sky Sports The Croatian then pounced in the ninth round, which forced the Brit's corner to throw in the towel.
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02 BBC Sport Published Moses Itauma was still a schoolboy when he would turn up at boxing gyms in his uniform and give seasoned professionals a hiding.
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03 The Guardian Sport “He’s still in hospital, still under observation,” Warren said of Itauma. “I think they’ll let him out today. They’re just doing the usual tests because he didn’t get there until late. So he got some sleep and they’re just doing what they normally do. He should be okay. I’ve messaged him a couple of times. He’s messaged back. We’ll have a call later today.”
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04 SMH Sport Itauma gasses out, corner throws in towel Moses Itauma gasses out in the ninth round of his IBF world title fight with Filip Hrgovic and his corner calls it off.
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05 ESPN Leader Pogacar out of Vuelta after Stage 8 crash Five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar has pulled out of the Spanish Vuelta after crashing during the eighth stage of the race.
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06 CBS Sports "Let me ask my young friend something: is chin important?" Hrgovic said. "Chin is important. Look, he's an amazing fighter. I want to thank him for accepting this fight, for giving me chance to become a new superstar in heavyweight division. I'm the present and he's definitely the future. He's amazing fighter, he's one of a kind. He's the best I've been in the ring with, but he needs more experience. He gassed out. I felt the pace of the fight. I knew I was losing rounds but I knew that I have that pace in my favor.
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