Tyson Fury believes Moses Itauma was pushed into a world title fight with Filip Hrgovic too early and says the defeat may have cost the 21-year-old a huge amount of future earning potential.
“I said to Frank Warren, and to everybody who would listen, ‘Too soon, this guy needs another four or five fights; what is the rush? He is 21,’” Fury told Gareth A. Davies. “They made a mistake, and it has cost them.”
Fury went even further, claiming Itauma had the potential to become a “billion-dollar athlete” before suffering his first professional defeat. Itauma had started strongly against Hrgovic and dropped him in the second round, but faded badly before being stopped in the ninth.
The former heavyweight champion compared Itauma’s development with his own, pointing out that he did not challenge Wladimir Klitschko until he was 27 and had already built a 24-0 record. Fury argued that Itauma needed more experience against durable opponents before stepping up to world level.
He believes Queensberry should now focus on rebuilding Itauma with fighters capable of extending him without presenting the same danger as Hrgovic. “Get him in with somebody who is durable, not that dangerous, who can take punishment and give him the rounds,” Fury said.
Fury’s main concern is that Itauma needs to learn how to manage his energy over longer fights rather than relying on early knockouts, with the Hrgovic loss exposing an area that must be addressed before another world title challenge.
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