Fury: Itauma Rush Cost Him a 'Billion-Dollar' Career

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Tyson Fury says Moses Itauma's ninth-round TKO loss to Filip Hrgovic happened because Queensberry rushed the 21-year-old into a world title fight before he was ready for a long night of boxing.

"From my experience, I said to Frank Warren, and to everybody who would listen, 'Too soon, this guy needs another four or five fights; what is the rush? He is 21,'" Fury said. "I suppose when you are trying to build somebody into a superstar and all of that stuff, you put him in early. They made a mistake, and it has cost them. Not only has it cost Moses the $100 million career, I believe he was a billion-dollar athlete."

Itauma entered the Hrgovic fight unbeaten and was dropping his man in the second round before fading badly and getting stopped in the ninth for the vacant IBF heavyweight title. Fury argues the jump in competition, from a résumé built largely on quick knockouts to a durable, experienced operator in Hrgovic, was too big a leap for a fighter with only 35 professional rounds under his belt.

Did Fury Face Easier Opposition at the Same Age?

Fury's own path to a heavyweight title looked nothing like Itauma's. Fury was 27 and carrying a 24-0 record into his November 2015 fight with Wladimir Klitschko, a bout that was his 25th as a professional and came against a 39-year-old champion well past his physical peak. Fury used that history to argue Itauma should have taken the slow road too, saying he would have been knocked out himself had he fought Klitschko at 21.

The comparison only holds up partway. Fury's apprenticeship was long, but the opponent waiting at the end of it had faded. Itauma, by contrast, walked into a version of Hrgovic who was still durable enough to absorb a two-fisted assault and force a grueling pace over nine rounds. That is a different kind of test than the one Fury eventually passed.

What Actually Went Wrong for Itauma

The bigger issue may not be who Itauma fought, but how he fought him. Itauma threw almost everything with full power, stayed tense in exchanges, and never developed the economical jab that lets a heavyweight control range without burning through his tank. Once Hrgovic survived the early onslaught and started walking him down from the sixth round on, Itauma had no lower gear left to find, and his legs and shape both went by the late rounds.

That is a coaching and stamina problem as much as a matchmaking one. Plenty of prospects have absorbed a signature loss and rebuilt from it, and a 21-year-old with obvious power and a 14-1 record still has time to fix the gas-tank issue that beat him more than Hrgovic's chin did.

Betting Angle

Itauma's stock takes a hit after the first loss of his career, and expect his odds to shorten meaningfully as a betting favorite the next time he steps in, at least until he shows he can pace himself over the second half of a fight. Bettors watching for his return should be less interested in the level of opponent Queensberry books next and more interested in whether his corner reworks his approach so he is not spending everything he has by round six.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Tyson Fury say about Moses Itauma's loss to Filip Hrgovic?

Tyson Fury said Queensberry rushed Moses Itauma into a world title fight against Filip Hrgovic before he was ready, arguing the loss cost the 21-year-old a chance at a superstar career.

How did Moses Itauma lose to Filip Hrgovic?

Moses Itauma dropped Filip Hrgovic in the second round but faded physically and was stopped via ninth-round TKO, with Hrgovic claiming the vacant IBF heavyweight title.