Itauma vs Hrgovic: Briton shoves opponent off stage, who responds with a slap
BBC • • sports
Key Points:
- British heavyweight Moses Itauma shoved Filip Hrgovic off the stage during the weigh-in for their IBF heavyweight title fight, leading to Hrgovic slapping Itauma in retaliation.
- The altercation occurred after a tense face-off where Itauma, 21, pushed the 34-year-old Hrgovic as the latter posed for photographs, sparking chaos involving security and team members.
- Itauma aims to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion in history, while Hrgovic, who has called Itauma a "kid," weighed in at his lightest in seven years ahead of the bout at London's O2 Arena.
- Both fighters exchanged heated words prior to the incident, with Itauma admitting he "lost it a little bit" after being provoked by Hrgovic during fight week.
- Itauma weighed 17st 4lb (110kg), consistent with his previous fight, while Hrgovic weighed 16st 12lb (107kg), 12 pounds lighter than his last bout in May.
