Moses Itauma BANNED from boxing following shock Filip Hrgovic loss as he was rushed to hospital in distressing scenes

MOSES ITAUMA has been slapped with a medical suspension following his brutal loss to Filip Hrgovic. The southpaw’s bid to win the vacant IBF heavyweight title was brutally ended by the Croatian at The O2 late last month. Moses Itauma suffered a brutal ninth-round TKO loss to Filip Hrgovic Credit: GETTY The southpaw is now serving a medical suspension following the first-ever defeat Credit: REUTERS Itauma, 21, suffered a ninth-round TKO loss after being crippled by fatigue in the previous stanza. He could barely stand as he bravely tried to fight off Hrgovic’s hellacious onslaught. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! Referee Howard Foster waved off the contest at the 2:27 mark as Itauma’s head coach Ben Davison dithered with the towel on the apron. An exhausted Itauma was helped out of the ring before being STRETCHERED OUT of the arena. He was promptly taken to the hospital for additional medical checks. Thankfully, he was discharged a few hours after the fight and returned home to rest with his family. But Itauma is now serving a BAN from competing under the British Board of Boxing Control following his hard nine rounds with Hrgovic. The BBBofC hands combatants who suffer a TKO loss a minimum suspension of 28 days. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS It can be extended to a minimum of 45 days based on the severity of the trauma received in the contest. And that is the period of ineligibility the BBBofC has handed the potential next face of British boxing. Mandatory bans prohibit fighters from sparring, as well as competing. So Itauma won’t be getting any licks on his training partners in the immediate future. Defeat to Hrgovic was the FIRST of Itauma’s three-year-long professional career. Moses Itauma will have been handed a minimum 28-day medical suspension by the BBBofC Credit: PA The 21-year-old faces a long road back to title contention Credit: GETTY And promoter Frank Warren, who claims his man suffered a leg injury, admits the mental scars from the loss could change the youngster forever. When asked about Itauma’s route back to title contention, the Queensberry Promotions chief said: “I wouldn’t even go there this early. “I don’t even know how he feels. Mentally, he will be completely down. “So we will have to talk to him and lift him. He will take some time out and go and have a nice break. “It’s not the right time to talk about it, it might take two weeks or even a month to see where we go with it.” Comment now