Groves On Itauma's Path After Hrgovic Defeat

Moses Itauma needs to develop into a 12-round fighter and step down in opposition after his IBF heavyweight title loss to Filip Hrgovic, according to former super-middleweight champion George Groves.

Itauma, 21, was stopped in the ninth round by Hrgovic in their vacant title fight, fading badly after a strong start. Conor Benn suffered a similar setback when Ryan Garcia halted him in two rounds for the WBC welterweight belt. Groves, who needed four attempts to capture a world title himself, told Sky Sports both British contenders face tricky rebuilds.

Itauma Must Learn Fight Efficiency After Gassing Out

Groves said Itauma depletes his gas tank by throwing maximum-effort punches and operates like a three-round fighter rather than someone built for championship distance. "There's no way you can train to that level of exhaustion," he said. "It's never going to be, in the gym, as important as what it is — a world title fight at his age underneath the lights with everything on the line." The former champion recommended pairing Itauma with a durable but less skilled opponent for his next outing, though he defended the Hrgovic matchup as the right fight at the time.

For Benn, Groves suggested either another welterweight camp or a move to 154 pounds makes more sense than chasing a third fight with Chris Eubank Jr at super-middleweight. "Hopefully it's not all roads lead to Eubank because I think that rivalry is done," Groves said, adding that Benn is unlikely to retire despite the setback. "He definitely won't walk away from the table when there's still food there."

Source: skysports.com