Out of gas: David Haye reveals the fatal tactical error in the Hrgovic vs. Itauma fight

The heavyweight professional boxing clash for the IBF championship title, held on August 29 in London, remains the focus of experts and fans. In an interview with the 'Built Different Boxing' YouTube channel, legendary British two-weight undisputed world champion David Haye provided a detailed analysis of the dramatic bout between Croatia's Filip Hrgovic and the previously undefeated Moses Itauma. Haye revealed the main mistake the young star made against his experienced opponent.

“Calm down, slow the pace”: Haye’s concern between rounds

David Haye noted that Itauma began to mismanage his energy early in the fight and took excessive risks:

• The 3rd-round strategic error: “In the third round, I thought: ‘That’s it, it’s time to change tactics. It’s time to be a bit more composed and start winning rounds on points.’ However, Moses continued to rely solely on power punches in every round,” says the former champion.

• Relentless pressure from round 1 to round 7: The promising British boxer pushed forward without breaks: “At every interval, I was begging him internally: ‘Calm down, slow the pace.’"

• The mirage in the 8th round: When Itauma went on the attack again in the eighth three-minute round, Haye doubted his own judgment for a moment: “I thought for a second: maybe I underestimated him? Maybe he is much more resilient than he looks? Personally, I wouldn't have been able to throw so many heavy punches in a row.”

“Out of gas”: The exhausted Itauma and Hrgovic’s patience

However, no miracle happened — he lacked the experience and functional conditioning for a 12-round marathon:

• The limit of physical exhaustion: “That’s where everything changed fundamentally. He was out of gas. Moses started breathing heavily and laboriously,” recalls Haye.

• Terrifying power in a state of collapse: “The most interesting thing is that even in a state of total exhaustion, barely standing on his feet, Itauma landed such terrifying blows on Hrgovic that usually, such heavy shots could knock out any heavyweight.”

• A difficult finale: Haye did not hide that watching the final minutes of the bout was mentally and emotionally very difficult.

The IBF belt went to Croatia

Recall that on August 29, at the uncompromising boxing night in London, Filip Hrgovic endured the intensity of his young opponent, stopped Itauma via technical knockout in the ninth round, and became the new IBF heavyweight world champion.

Do you think Moses Itauma was a victim of inexperience and haste, or could Hrgovic’s iron chin absorb any power punch? Can Itauma learn the right lessons from this tough defeat and return to championship level? Leave your thoughts in the comments!