Moses It will hurt has broken his silence and assessed whether Filip Hrgovic truly deserves his respect for winning their dramatic encounter in August.

The pair squared off for the vacant IBF title, with Itauma attempting to become the youngest world heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson dethroned Trevor Berbick in 1986.

For the first eight rounds, the 21-year-old appeared likely to do just that, having landed the cleaner shots, scored an early knockdown and generally outclassed his opponent.

In a stunning turn of events, however, Itauma was reduced to utter exhaustion and Hrgovic, sensing this fatigue, managed to pull off a major upset by stopping his man in round nine.

As a result, the Croatian became his nation’s first world heavyweight champion and, by extension, is now considered one of the division’s leading operators.

Itauma, on the other hand, was forced to suffer his first defeat, amateur or professional, in a contest that he seemed sure to win.

Yet despite the demoralising nature of this setback, Itauma has told Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions that Hrgovic deserves his utmost respect.

“It was a good fight. I didn’t give Hrgovic much respect before the fight [but]during and after [the fight]I did [give him respect].

He deserves it – he won the fight.”

Indeed, Itauma did not appear to respect Hrgovic much during the build-up and, for instance, found it curious that the 34-year-old took pride in having a granite chin.

Well, as it happened, the veteran’s durability, along with his fitness and experience, was why he managed to defeat his quicker and more explosive opponent.

Moses It will hurt and Filip Hrgovic are set to return early next year, with promoter Frank Warren confident in delivering a particularly meaningful occasion for his world champion.

The two heavyweights collided in August, when Itauma built a sizable lead by scoring a second-round knockdown and, more generally, managing to exploit his advantage in speed.

Things then took a turn for the worse when, after unsuccessfully pursuing a grandstand finish, the 21-year-old was reduced to utter exhaustion and suffered a ninth-round stoppage defeat.

As a result, Hrgovic became his country’s first heavyweight champion by claiming the vacant IBF title, while Itauma failed in his attempt to become the division’s youngest major title-holder since Mike Tyson.

However, Warren has reassured media members that Itauma will return to the ring early next yearfacing a familiar opponent before embarking on another title charge.

“It will be January, if not before. But January is looking like the date. We’re looking at a couple of [potential opponents] at the moment, and I’m quite confident that everybody will be happy with what we’re going to do.

“I would like him to be in with a [recognisable] name, to start with. I want to get the start of the new year done for him, so he can focus on doing what he wants to do, [which] is to win a world title.”

As for Hrgovic, the Queensberry boss is looking to stage a homecoming for the Croatian, who must defend his title against mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez.

“We’re working hard to do that in Croatia [and] give him his dream. He deserves it. I’m sure the whole nation would turn out for their hero.

“We’re in the middle of [speaking with the Croatian government] at the moment. I’m quietly confident [it will happen]. We like to get things done and [then] announce them.”

Hrgovic has not fought on home soil since 2018, when he unanimously outpointed the ultra-durable Kevin Johnson over eight rounds.

Earlier that year, he scored a third-round finish over Amir Mansour at Arena Zagreb, which has a capacity of around 15,000 and could be an option to host the 34-year-old’s next outing.

The Croatian capital – where Hrgovic is actually from – is also home to the Maksimir football stadium, which boasts a superior capacity of around 25,000.

At either venue, though, Hrgovic-Sanchez is likely to be the biggest boxing event that Croatia has ever hosted, while the last world title fight to take place there was in April 2024, when Ivana Habazin defended her WBC strap against Kinga Magyar.

Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela believes Floyd Schofield’s camp is looking for a way around him, with the new WBA lightweight champion’s father calling for an Abdullah Mason unification in Texas early next year.

“Here we go .. they’re running the other way,” Valenzuela posted on X in response to the Mason callout.

Rayo has been seeking a shot at Schofield, but he may be out of luck if he expects the WBA to force the fight. His public request for the organization to intervene is not the same as an order requiring Schofield to face him.

Schofield Sr. offered Mason a January or February date during an interview with BandsNBoxing.

“If you want a fight, y’all can run it next,” he said. “Send the contract. Tell your bosses to send the contract to Golden Boy. Let’s make it happen then.”

He proposed San Antonio or Austin, Texas, adding: “Y’all already know it’s two belts on the line.”

That second belt gives Mason something Rayo cannot offer. Mason has also shown enough vulnerability to make him a target for Schofield’s camp. They may see a chance to collect the WBO title against a talented young champion whose defensive flaws offer openings.

Rayo falls into the “who needs him?” club: a former champion capable of spoiling plans without bringing another lightweight belt. Beating him would satisfy a challenger. Beating Mason would make Schofield a unified champion.

Schofield had enough trouble getting past Lucas Bahdi in his last fight to make another difficult assignment worth considering carefully. He won, but the performance hardly suggested he could take an opponent like Valenzuela lightly.

Rayo’s accusation puts that choice in public view. Whether it gets him any closer to a title shot depends on the WBA. If the organization approves a Mason unification, calling Schofield out may be all Valenzuela can do while the two champions pursue each other.