LONDON (AP) 鈥 Filip Hrgovic stopped Moses Itauma in the ninth round to hand the 21-year-old British boxer his first loss and take the vacant IBF heavyweight world title on Saturday.
Itauma's corner threw in the towel as he was being pummelled against the ropes, making the 34-year-old Hrgovic the first Croatian heavyweight champion.
Itauma had never needed to go past the sixth round in his first 14 professional bouts and tired visibly after taking command of the early rounds.
The rivals traded blows in the eighth and ninth before the granite chin of Hrgovic won out.
Itauma was trying to become the youngest heavyweight champion since a 20-year-old Mike Tyson stopped Trevor Berbick in 1986.
Hrgovic improved to 22-1.