Moses Itauma wasted no time seeking redemption after suffering his first career loss, immediately lobbying promoter Frank Warren for a direct return bout with Filip Hrgovic. Warren, however, has other plans.

Warren revealed that the young heavyweight blew up his phone following the August stoppage.

“He was on the phone the day after, and the day after that, and the day after that, but as I said to him, we had to pay Frank Sanchez to step aside, and that’s the position,” Warren said to DAZN News.

Sanchez originally stepped aside to allow the initial clash to happen, securing his spot as the mandatory challenger for Hrgovic’s IBF heavyweight title. Reports indicate Hrgovic and Sanchez will likely collide in Croatia during early 2027. Itauma is slated to return to action early next year against a ranked contender.

Warren taking his foot off the gas is the only sensible move. Itauma looked sharp out of the gate against Hrgovic, banking the opening stanzas with poise. The wheels fell off in round 3 once Hrgovic began putting hands on him.

Itauma did not react well to incoming fire. A look of panic crept across his face, exposing a young fighter utterly bewildered by an experience he never anticipated. That reaction is the direct byproduct of soft matchmaking. Having bypassed elite amateur competition, Itauma spent his developmental run feasting on fragile opposition that fell apart under early pressure.

When Hrgovic stood firm, Itauma tried a Shakur Stevenson step back, giving up ground in a straight line with his head stuck on the center line. Hrgovic recognized the amateur defensive flaw instantly, closing the distance like a shark stalking injured prey. Trapped along the ropes, Itauma abandoned his boxing technique, loading up on wild individual bombs in a desperate bid to punch his way out of trouble. Hrgovic timed the predictable swings, walked him down, and closed the show.

Warren will not fix these glaring deficiencies in a single training camp. A lone confidence builder against a hand-picked opponent solves nothing. Itauma needs five to ten genuine, grueling learning fights against durable, prime contenders who will test his chin, force him past six rounds, and make him solve problems under real fire.

Rushing Itauma back into a rematch after blasting out an overmatched opponent would be promotional negligence. Until he learns how to survive under distress, another date with Hrgovic will produce the identical outcome.