Hrgovic Stops Itauma in Round Nine
IBF Intercontinental champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Filip “El Animal” Hrgovic, 21-1 (16), stopped WBO Intercontinental champion Moses Itauma, 14-1 (12), at 2:27 of the ninth round. The bout was scheduled for 12 rounds.
Itauma dropped Hrgovic to one knee with a left hand during the second round. Referee Howard Foster administered an eight-count before allowing the action to continue.
The southpaw’s hand speed, sharp combinations and body punching carried the next several rounds. Itauma repeatedly beat Hrgovic to the punch and built a large lead while the Croatian absorbed heavy shots without breaking.
Everything changed once Itauma crossed into territory he had never experienced as a professional. His movement slowed, his punches lost force, and his defensive shape began to disappear.
Hrgovic attacked from the opening seconds of the ninth. A right hand hurt Itauma midway through the round, and the exhausted challenger struggled to remain upright. He eventually collapsed into the corner, prompting trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel as Foster halted the contest.
Itauma had done most of the better boxing, but Hrgovic had prepared for the portion of the fight that the younger man had never seen. The early knockouts that built Itauma’s reputation offered no evidence of how his body would respond after six hard rounds against a full-sized heavyweight who refused to leave.
Hrgovic credited his Christian faith after the comeback.
“It was not me tonight. It was Jesus Christ in me. Holy Spirit.”
The new champion admitted Itauma had outboxed him and said he did not know where the energy for his ninth-round attack came from. He also thanked trainer Abel Sanchez, manager Keith Connolly and the rest of his team for producing the best training camp of his career.
Itauma required medical attention and was removed from the ring on a stretcher after the fight. Hrgovic became Croatia’s first heavyweight world champion.
Sam Noakes Decisions Denys Berinchyk
In the co-main event, former British and Commonwealth lightweight champion Sam Noakes, 19-1 (16), defeated former WBO champion and 2012 Olympic silver medalist Denys Berinchyk, 19-2 (9), by unanimous decision over 10 rounds. The vacant WBO International lightweight title was at stake.
Noakes outworked Berinchyk during the opening four rounds as the Ukrainian returned from an 18-month absence. A right hand stunned Berinchyk during the closing seconds of the fifth.
Berinchyk had a better eighth despite eating another right hand near the bell. Noakes regained control in the tenth and closed the fight strongly.
The judges scored it 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92. Bob Williams was the referee.
Constantin Ursu Retains After Vaughan Cut
British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Constantin “The Moldovan Monster” Ursu, 16-0 (7), knocked out Ben “The Bomber” Vaughan, 12-3 (4), at 0:03 of the eighth round.
Vaughan gave Ursu a competitive fight before an accidental clash of heads opened a cut over his right eyebrow in the fifth. The injury worsened as the bout continued, while Ursu began taking firmer control during the seventh.
The ringside doctor inspected Vaughan twice. With the eye closing and the cut no longer safe, the contest was stopped before meaningful action began in the eighth. Michael Alexander was the referee.
Nelson Hysa Stops Thomas Narmo
WBA Gold and WBO Global heavyweight champion Nelson “The Albanian Eagle” Hysa, 25-0 (23) knocked out Thomas “The Last Viking” Narmo, 14-1 (14), at 0:36 of the second round of a scheduled 10.
Hysa took the first round before closing the fight early in the second. A lead right landed against the side of Narmo’s head and sent him down. Narmo beat the count, but referee Howard Foster determined that he was in no condition to continue.
Aloys Youmbi Outpoints Sherif Musah
WBC Continental cruiserweight champion Aloys Youmbi, 12-1 (9), 205¼, of Penge, South London, defeated Sherif Musah, 4-2-1 (2), 202¼, of London, by decision.
Youmbi was returning after more than a year away and had prepared to face southpaw Mike Perez before Musah accepted the fight on short notice. The switch to an orthodox opponent contributed to an awkward opening.
Through the first three rounds, Youmbi held the edge by countering the aggressive Musah. A right uppercut rocked Musah during the final 15 seconds of the third, forcing him to hold.
Musah remained competitive during the closing rounds, but Youmbi landed the cleaner punches. Referee Lee Every scored the six-round bout 60-54.
Arbnor Jashari Defeats Numan Hussain
Lightweight Arbnor “Kid Dynamite” Jashari, 10-0 (3), defeated Numan Hussain, 8-2 (2) by a six-round points decision.
Jashari rocked Hussain with a right hand during the closing seconds of the second. Hussain answered before the bell, but Jashari’s quicker combinations carried the remaining rounds.
Referee Lee Every scored it 59-55.
Guido Vianello and Moses Jolly Draw
WBC Continental Americas heavyweight champion and Italian Olympian Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello, 14-3-2 (12), drew with late replacement Moses “The Native” Jolly, 12-0-1 (8), in an eight-round bout.
Vianello bloodied Jolly’s nose with a right hand in the second. Jolly turned the fight into a rougher contest and tossed Vianello to the canvas during the fourth, although it was not ruled a knockdown.
Blood from Vianello’s left ear required an examination by the ringside doctor. Both heavyweights had success during the seventh and eighth, leaving referee Amy Pu to score the fight 76-76.
The draw reflected eight untidy but competitive rounds. Vianello delivered the straighter punches, while Jolly’s pressure and physical strength kept him in the fight.
Tony Curtis Edges Imad Naseeb
Super flyweight Tony “Lightning” Curtis Jr., 14-1 (3), 112½, of Woolwich, London, defeated Imad Naseeb, 8-1 (2), 111½, of Warrington, over six rounds.
Naseeb switched between southpaw and orthodox while pressing forward through the first four rounds. Referee Lee Every warned him several times for punches behind the head.
During the fifth and sixth rounds, Naseeb trapped Curtis in a corner and knocked out his mouthpiece in each round. Curtis, trained by Roy Jones Jr., continued moving and countering well enough to take the decision.
Every scored it 58-56.
Frankie Wood Stops Callum Lee
Featherweight southpaw Frankie Wood, 5-0 (2) stopped Callum Lee, 8-1 (1), at 1:21 of the sixth and final round.
Lee’s left eye began swelling during the opening round, although much of Wood’s work was directed toward the body. Lee countered effectively and remained competitive through five.
Wood increased the pressure in the sixth and dropped Lee with a lead right hook to the chin. Lee rose, but referee Amy Pu waved off the contest after deciding he was unable to continue safely.
Sam King Outpoints Jack Swallow
Middleweight Sam King, 7-0-1 (1), defeated Jack “Mad Dog” Swallow, 4-13-1 (1), by points.
Returning after six months away, King pressed the action and kept Swallow on the defensive for most of the contest. King’s work rate and cleaner punches decided the rounds.
Referee Amy Pu scored it 40-36.
Zayn Ahmed Stops Liam Fitzmaurice
Super featherweight southpaw Zayn “The Hurricane” Ahmed, 3-0 (1), 130¼, of Slough, stopped Liam Fitzmaurice, 0-19, 132½, of Tyldesley, Lancashire, at 2:47 of the second round of a scheduled four.
During the final minute of the second, Ahmed landed a right to the body that dropped Fitzmaurice. Referee Amy Pu immediately stopped the bout.
Hassan Ishaq Decisions Enzo Munoz
Super bantamweight Hassan “Shooter” Ishaq, 4-0 (3), defeated Enzo “El Bulls” Bahiano Munoz, 4-17-4 (2), over four rounds.
Ishaq’s punches caused swelling around Munoz’s left eye during the opening round. Munoz switched to southpaw and remained durable, producing his best attack during the closing seconds of the fourth.
Munoz had been stopped only once and again lasted the distance. It was Ishaq’s first professional bout to reach the scorecard.
Referee Lee Every scored it 40-36.
Thomas Treiber served as ring announcer.
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