Itauma punches himself out against Hrgovic in world-title fight

Filip Hrgovic ripped up the script and shattered Moses Itauma's world-title dream as the Briton appeared to punch himself out in an extraordinary heavyweight contest in London.

Itauma, 21, controlled most of the fight and scored a second-round knockdown but faded as his relentless output caught up with him.

Hrgovic weathered the storm and piled on the pressure in the ninth. With Itauma barely able to stand, his legs unsteady and body swaying before slumping in the corner, his team threw in the towel.

Itauma - who needed medical attention before leaving the arena on a stretcher - had been a heavy favourite after tearing through his first 14 opponents and was spoken about as heavyweight boxing's next superstar.

"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," Hrgovic said.

"From the first round, I saw his 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."

With the vacant IBF title on the line, victory would have made Itauma the second-youngest world champion in the division's history.

Instead, his inexperience began to show as his Croatian opponent - an Olympic bronze medallist whose only previous professional defeat came against Daniel Dubois - survived everything Itauma threw at him before completing a remarkable turnaround.