Official Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic scorecards show just how far ahead Brit was before stoppage

Moses Itauma was way ahead on all three judges’ scorecards before he was stopped by a valiant Filip Hrgovic on Saturday night.

The precocious Brit had won all eight rounds (80-71) on two of the scorecards and all but the seventh (79-72) on the other heading into the ninth stanza.

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His lead had been further bolstered by a knockdown in the second frame, earning him a 10-8 round.

However, all of his good work was undone when he punched himself out at the end of the eighth in relentless pursuit of the stoppage.

When the ninth round got underway, a considerably fresher Hrgovic poured on the pressure to record a remarkable come-from-behind win and snatch the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

Itauma sank to his knees as referee Howard Foster jumped in and waved off the bout with 33 seconds left until the bell.

He was subsequently helped onto a stretcher and taken to hospital.

Frank Warren later revealed that his client suffered a leg injury and a bout of extreme exhaustion in the aftermath of his crushing defeat.

“I thought Moses was way ahead and then he got clipped,” Warren told talkSPORT’s Spencer Oliver.

“Moses has gone to hospital. He has done something to his leg.

“He did something to his leg, and he was exhausted, is the truth of it.

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“It was a very fast-paced fight… He got caught, and the fighting instinct was to stand there and let his shots go.

“He left himself open. That’s what it is at the top level. You have to tick all the boxes.

“He has got to learn from the fight and will hopefully do that.”

Itauma was discharged from hospital on the same night and has since taken to social media to declare that he will come back stronger than ever.

At 21 years old, Itauma has plenty of time to rebuild his career and isn’t expected to rush back to the ring.

The youngster will likely step down to European or fringe world level to bridge the gap in class.

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