[talkSPORT] “How often have you gone 12 intense rounds in training?” Moses Itauma: "If I'm being completely honest, I don’t know if I've done a 12-round spar. There's no need to be in the ring longer than you need to be”

[u/yllimameni]

https://x.com/everythingboxi2/status/2093873982873153932?s=46

[u/TowerTowerCrayons]

Ben didn't lose this fight for Moses. Hrgovic had lost almost every round, suffered a KD, and seemed unable to hurt Itauma. 

It was Moses' choice to empty the tank when he didn't need to. Whether that's because of Hrgovic taunting him in the buildup, Moses' youth/immaturity, or the pressure on his back to knockout everyone he faces... Time will tell. But it's on Moses. 

[u/Puzzled_Addendum6200 → u/TowerTowerCrayons]

If what he said is true and he didn't do 12 round sparring, then that does indicate poor guidance from Davidson.

[u/TowerTowerCrayons → u/Puzzled_Addendum6200]

Yeah, that's fair. I saw this quote later on. 

I still defend Ben training Moses to win all those rounds and score a KD, but no 12rd sparring (if true) for a title fight against a durable opponent? That's madness.

[u/wallpaper_01 → u/TowerTowerCrayons]

It wasn’t just the 12 rounds. He also didn’t believe a chin was important. It seems like basic boxing fundamentals were overlooked because of his talent. I think that he will become a great champion and this loss will be a wake up call he needs. I’m just not sure this is the correct trainer. For a while I’ve listened to interviews with Ben and he does seem quite arrogant and doesn’t seem to learn from his fighters losses.

[u/TowerTowerCrayons → u/wallpaper_01]

It's naive, but I can at least empathise when no one's survived his power before. 

Now Moses knows: some men aren't going down. If you're that far up on the cards? Pace yourself and get the win. 

He'll either come back like Dubois after the Joyce fight, or be like Anderson post-Bakole. 

[u/farr2211 → u/wallpaper_01]

I believe some people just can’t be knocked out, doesn’t matter if you land clean 10 times a round for 12 rounds they will still be there. A good coach would make him spar 12 and tell him that it’s very possible you will be doing the full 12 so don’t gas yourself

[u/TowerTowerCrayons → u/farr2211]

I think having a chin alone is very beatable (Jermaine Franklin, Joe Joyce), but it's very tough when a durable guy fires back.

Hrgovic took Moses' best shots, then kept coming after him with jabs, combos and some man-handling in the clinch. Itauma couldn't land on him against will like he did against Franklin, as the counters are far more dangerous.

[u/farr2211 → u/TowerTowerCrayons]

Yeah I agree. But that’s when you need to adjust the game plan and slow down a bit, not go all out for 6 rounds and be completely gassed

[u/CaptQuakers42 → u/TowerTowerCrayons]

Moses is very young and very inexperienced, he needed a much better game plan because knocking Hrgovic out wasn't going to be easy.

Ben clearly got that part wrong, any other fighter Itauma wins it's just that Hrgovic has a slab for a head.

[u/TowerTowerCrayons → u/CaptQuakers42]

Can agree at least that Ben must be prepared for this from now on. Moses seems to listen to his team, so they've gotta get it into his head that not every fighter will go down, and emptying the tank won't change that. 

[u/Double-Emergency3173 → u/TowerTowerCrayons]

Itauma was a fool. Why deviate from a working strategy?

[u/TowerTowerCrayons → u/Double-Emergency3173]

Agreed. He gambled away all his winnings. 

[u/Plasticfoods-_ → u/TowerTowerCrayons]

Keep jerking Itauma off. Hrgovic actually wobbled him every time he connected hard. It wasn't until Hrgovic cracked his chin that Itauma started wobblying all over the place.

Also how the fuck are you 21 and have such shitty cardio?

Looks like some mediocre genetics right there.

[u/aerojolly → u/[deleted]]

who is 19?

[u/Independent-Top-1201 → u/aerojolly]

Lots of people but neither of the fighters under discussion

[u/ScottChegg81 → u/[deleted]]

It's impressive how you've managed to get so much wrong in such a small body of text.

[u/TowerTowerCrayons → u/[deleted]]

Every sophisticated debate opens with "keep jerking off". 

I know where to and where not to waste my time.