Moses Itauma says he needed time to come to terms with the first defeat of his career against Filip Hrgovic but is now ready to reap the benefits of that night in August.
Itauma had looked destined to become the second youngest heavyweight champion of all time behind Mike Tyson when he unloaded on Hrgovic in the first half of their IBF title showdown at The O2 Arena. But the 21-year-old emptied the tank too early, and exhaustion set in to allow his durable Croatian opponent to force a ninth-round stoppage.
Now lined up for a January comeback against an established name, Itauma stands by his decision to aim for "greatness" by attempting to knock Hrgovic out.
"For a long time I couldn't accept the fact that it happened because I was winning the fight so comfortably," said Itauma, speaking publicly about the fight for the first time at the launch of Club Eight 3 gym in Chatham. "I was so far ahead on the scorecards and then all of a sudden your body just starts shutting itself down."
Promoter Frank Warren wants Itauma fully involved in a busy 2027 for the heavyweight division that will see the likes of Daniel Dubois, the winner of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua and Hrgovic vie for supremacy.
Itauma said he will make some adjustments as a result of his first loss in 15 fights, but having dominated on the judges' scorecards, the core of who he is in the ring will remain the same. "The identity of being a boxer is still deeply rooted in me," he said. "Just because I lost doesn't mean that's going to change. I'll be back."