Hrgovic: Itauma loss was 'a big humiliation' that could end his career, or make him unbeatable

The new IBF heavyweight champion says Moses Itauma outboxed him for eight rounds and left him with headaches for days, but questions whether the 21-year-old Briton is mentally tough enough to come back.

Filip Hrgovic has told The Guardian that beating Moses Itauma was "a big humiliation" for the British heavyweight, and that it could either end his career or make him unbeatable.

"We'll see. It was a big shock for him, a big humiliation, so maybe it's the end of his career if he's not mentally tough," said the Croatian, who stopped Itauma in the ninth round last month to win the IBF title. "A lot of people, after that kind of loss, never come back. It will be a hard journey for him to come back but if he recovers and he does not lose his confidence then, with this experience, I think no one will ever beat him again."

Itauma, 21, outboxed Hrgovic for eight rounds before he ran out of energy and was overwhelmed in the ninth. Hrgovic said the punches he took left him with headaches for days. "I felt f*cked up. I received a lot of shots and I was bruised. I had a bit of a headache for a few days."

He did not celebrate. "I just went home to rest. It was such a hard fight I didn't even do my tradition after I win, when I go to McDonald's. I didn't have the strength."

Hrgovic, 34, said he was still annoyed at how the fight went. "I'm still kind of angry because he outboxed me. In my whole career, in 20 years of boxing, I was never outboxed in any sparring or any fight." He called Itauma the most talented opponent he had faced: "This kid is fast and big. He's got great IQ and great talent."

He said Itauma's fitness was not the problem, but his preparation was. "He's drinking water, hugging trees in the morning, saying hello to the sun. He does a lot of this bullsh*t. He's surrounded by 10,000 yes-men, nutritionists and a coach for sleeping. You can't get ready for a war this way."

Hrgovic wants to unify the division. He told The Guardian there was a chance he would face Rico Verhoeven, the former world kickboxing champion, on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua undercard in Cardiff on 11 December. Fury vs Joshua is confirmed for 11 December.