Filip Hrgovic stopped an exhausted Moses Itauma in the ninth round at The O2 on Saturday night to win the vacant International Boxing Federation heavyweight title.
The 34-year-old victory makes him Croatia's first-ever world heavyweight champion, handing the 21-year-old British prospect the first defeat of his professional career.
The IBF title was left vacant after previous championship holders relinquished the belt, creating an opportunity for top contenders to fight for the world crown at London's major combat sports venue.
Early dominance and ninth round stoppage
Itauma entered the ring undefeated and dominated the opening six rounds by landing a string of accurate blows.
However, the young London fighter became visibly exhausted as the contest progressed and failed to find a way past Hrgovic's durable chin.
In professional championship boxing, bouts are scheduled for up to twelve three-minute rounds, placing a heavy premium on stamina and energy conservation over the full distance.
The seventh round marked the first time in Itauma's career that he had fought beyond six rounds.
Hrgovic pounced in the ninth round as Itauma slowed, forcing the British boxer's corner to throw in the towel to halt the fight.
Throwing in the towel is a traditional signal used by a trainer or corner team to surrender a contest and protect an exhausted fighter from further damage.
Post fight reaction from Hrgovic
Following his victory, Hrgovic praised Itauma as the most talented fighter in the heavyweight division but stated that his opponent had boxed like an amateur.
"Let me be honest, he's amazing," Hrgovic said. "I didn't know it was going to be so hard, I thought I was going to handle him easier."
"I was losing all the rounds. The kid is amazing, he was so fast, you don't see his punches coming," he added.
"He doesn't hit so hard but he's fast. But since the first (round) I saw he was gassing out, he was boxing still like an amateur," Hrgovic explained.
Amateur boxing relies on rapid scoring punches across three short rounds, whereas professional heavyweight boxing demands pacing, defense, and stamina across twelve rounds.
"He's inexperienced, I saw he was gassing out and I knew my only chance was to stay there to make him tired, to keep coming and to maybe stop him later on," Hrgovic said. "That's what I did."
"I came to London, his hometown, against the most talented guy in the division and I beat all the odds," Hrgovic stated.
"I want to be considered the best heavyweight in the world, and this is my time. I am the best. I am the present and he is the future," he declared.
Hospital precautionary check and recovery
Itauma came into the fight lauded as one of boxing's brightest young talents after several early knockout wins, hoping to become Britain's youngest heavyweight world champion.
Heavyweight prospects moving up to world championship level often face tests when encountering durable opponents who can withstand early power and force an extended pace.
Following the stoppage, Itauma was carried from the ring on a stretcher and taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
On Sunday morning, a statement from promotional outfit Queensberry Promotions confirmed that the heavyweight contender had left hospital and returned home.
"Moses is well. He left the hospital last night and is back at home with his family," a Queensberry spokesperson said.
Promoter Frank Warren explained the decision to send Itauma for medical evaluation, saying: "That's what we always do to make sure because the most important thing is the boxer's health."
"He's there and he's in the best place. We'll see what happens when I've got a report. We'll obviously let everybody know," Warren said.
"He's done something to his leg as well and he was quite tired. It was a high-paced, fast fight for both the guys. It was just edge of your seat stuff all the way through," Warren added.
Future plans and mandatory challenger
Warren noted that Itauma will take time off to recover physically and mentally before discussions begin regarding his return to the ring.
"I don't know what he's going to say. I'm sure he's a fighting man. He showed that right to the end. At the end, that's the type of fight it was - they were standing there just letting bombs go," Warren said.
"I don't even know how he feels mentally. Mentally, he's going to be completely down. We're going to have to talk to him and lift him and see what he's like," the promoter added.
"It's going to take some time. He's going to have a nice break. It's not even the time to talk about it with him at the moment," Warren said.
"It's something we're probably doing in two weeks or even a month's time, see where we go with it," Warren explained.
Meanwhile, Hrgovic expressed his desire to pursue unification fights against other world heavyweight titleholders.
"I want to fight for unification against Dubois or Agit Kabayel. I want to go for unification, that's what I want," Hrgovic said.
Before any potential unification match with Daniel Dubois or Agit Kabayel, Hrgovic must first make a mandatory title defense against Frank Sanchez.
Under sanctioning body rules, world champions must defend their belts against official mandatory challengers designated by the organization to retain their titles.
