Moses Itauma's preparations have been questioned following his devastating ninth-round TKO defeat to Filip Hrgovic. Itauma was the overwhelming favourite heading into the bout but having dominated the opening eight rounds dramatically ran out of gas as he was stopped in the ninth. Delicious Orie admits he was surprised by Itauma's pre-fight admission that he had not before sparred 12 rounds.
If I was getting a ring and knowing I've got 12 rounds ahead of me, I'm doing 15 rounds. For me, not doing 12 rounds going into a 12-round fight is crazy," he told Sky Sports. "I guess it's each to their own.
Moses boxed so perfectly but it was gradual rather than sudden. It goes back to experience. Hrgovic won that night because of it.
This reminded me of new boxers in a new era taking strength and conditioning so seriously. You've got to find out about yourself before you get into the ring. You cannot learn on the job when it comes to professional boxing.
"I think he should have beaten Hrgovic. I wasn't in his training camps, but we've all heard it. He didn't spar enough; it's as simple as that.
Just because you can lift weights or run fast does not mean you can sustain a 12-round fight. It's a completely different beast." Like Itauma, lightweight contender Sam Noakes hails from Kent and has world title ambitions. He agreed with Orie that inexperience contributed to Itauma's first career defeat, with the 21-year-old having to be taken to hospital following the fight.
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