Tyson Fury believes Moses Itauma $100 million mistake was made when the young heavyweight was moved too quickly into a major test against Filip Hrgovic, costing him a potentially enormous career.
Itauma entered his showdown with Hrgovic as one of boxing’s most exciting heavyweight prospects, with many observers predicting that the 21-year-old could eventually dominate the division.
Instead, his first major step towards world-title glory ended in disappointment when Hrgovic stopped him after Itauma appeared to run out of energy during the fight.
The defeat has forced Itauma to reassess his development, with his immediate world-title ambitions now put on hold as his team considers how best to rebuild his confidence and experience.
Tyson Fury says Itauma was moved too quickly
Fury, a former two-time heavyweight champion, believes Itauma’s handlers made a major mistake by pushing him into such a dangerous fight before he had accumulated enough experience.
Speaking to Gareth A Davies, Fury said the decision had potentially cost Itauma far more than a single defeat.
“I suppose when you are trying to build somebody into a superstar and all of that stuff, you put him in early,” Fury said.
“They made a mistake, and it has cost them. Not only has it cost Moses the $100 million career, I believe he was a billion-dollar athlete.”
Fury went even further by comparing Itauma’s potential commercial value with the enormous earnings enjoyed by some of the world’s biggest sporting superstars.
“Whatever these superstar athletes are, your LeBron James’ and all of these people – I think it has cost him it,” he added.
The comments underline just how highly Fury rated Itauma before his defeat, with the former champion apparently believing the young Briton possessed the ability to become one of boxing’s biggest attractions.
Fury wanted Itauma to have more fights first
Fury had previously warned against rushing Itauma into elite-level opposition and believes the boxer should have been given several more fights before being tested against someone as dangerous as Hrgovic.
“From my experience, I said to Frank Warren and I said to everybody who would listen, ‘too soon, this guy needs another four/five fights, what is the rush? He is 21,’” Fury said.
Itauma had demolished his first 12 opponents, creating the impression that he was ready for the biggest challenges available.
However, Fury believes repeatedly beating low-level opposition and immediately jumping into a dangerous heavyweight contest creates a difficult development problem.
“You have got an absolute monster like Moses and you put him in against low-level opposition and he blows them away like he did his other 12 opponents,” Fury explained.
“Step him up too far and he might gas out again.”
Tyson Fury explains how Itauma should rebuild
Fury believes the answer is not to abandon Itauma’s long-term ambitions but to carefully rebuild him with opponents capable of taking him deep into fights.
“It’s about getting the balance right; get him in with somebody who is not that dangerous, who is durable, who can take punishment and give him the rounds,” Fury said.
“He needs to get used to getting the rounds in.”
That approach could now become central to the Moses Itauma next fight discussion, with his handlers expected to prioritise experience rather than immediately pursuing another dangerous heavyweight contender.
Itauma’s defeat against Hrgovic exposed the importance of learning how to manage his energy over the course of a demanding heavyweight contest.
His previous victories had largely ended before he was required to demonstrate that aspect of his game for an extended period.
Itauma’s heavyweight career now enters a new phase
The Moses Itauma Filip Hrgovic defeat has changed the trajectory of a career that had been moving at extraordinary speed.
Before the loss, Itauma was being discussed as a potential future heavyweight champion and had attracted considerable attention because of his age, power and unbeaten start.
The Hrgovic defeat does not necessarily eliminate those possibilities, particularly because Itauma is still only 21.
However, the loss means he will now have to climb the heavyweight rankings again and demonstrate that he has learned from the experience.
Fury also acknowledged the psychological challenge of recovering from such a damaging defeat at such an early stage of a career.
“It is very difficult [to bounce back], when you have been banjo’d like that,” Fury said.
“It is difficult to turn that around mentally, physically and emotionally.”
Big fights likely postponed
Itauma had been linked with major names including Frank Sanchez and Daniel Dubois, but those contests are now unlikely to happen immediately.
His team is expected to concentrate on rebuilding his confidence and giving him the kind of fights that will allow him to develop without being exposed unnecessarily.
Richard Riakporhe has been suggested as one possible opponent, while Richard Torrez Jr and Joe Joyce have also been mentioned as potential options.
The eventual choice will be important because Itauma needs meaningful rounds without being placed in another situation where one mistake could significantly derail his development.
Can Itauma still become a heavyweight superstar?
Despite the setback, Itauma’s age means there is still plenty of time for him to recover and fulfil the enormous potential that made him one of boxing’s most talked-about young heavyweights.
Fury’s assessment is particularly striking because he does not appear to believe Itauma lacks the ability to become a superstar.
Instead, his criticism is focused on timing, matchmaking and the speed at which Itauma was moved towards elite competition.
The former champion’s warning is therefore less about Itauma’s ceiling and more about ensuring that the young heavyweight has enough time to develop the skills, stamina and mental resilience required at the highest level.
Itauma’s return is now expected to come in 2027, giving his team time to determine the right path back towards heavyweight contention.
For a fighter once viewed as a potential future world champion, the next stage of his career will be about patience, experience and rebuilding.
Fury believes the wrong step may already have cost Itauma a fortune. But at just 21, the heavyweight prospect still has an opportunity to prove that one defeat will not define his career.
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