Filip Hrgovic weathered an early storm to halt an exhausted and badly hurt Moses Itauma in the ninth round. The Croatian came into the fight as wide as 7/1 underdog with some bookies, but he proved the oddsmakers wrong by absorbing Itauma’s best shots and coming on late to become the new IBF heavyweight champion.Hrgovic came out on top in a brutal battle of attritionGettyIn a dramatic ninth round, Hrgovic turned the fight on its head after trailing heavily on the scorecards to leave Itauma out on his feet.With Itauma in real trouble, the Brit’s trainer Ben Davison made the compassionate decision to throw in the towel with 33 seconds left in the frame.Itauma ended the fight on his feet, but was carried out of the ring on a stretcher by paramedics.In victory, Hrgovic becomes the first Croatian world heavyweight champion of all time, and only the second among all weight classes in the nation’s history.He is now set to face No.1-ranked contender Frank Sanchez, who stepped aside to allow the heavyweight titans to box for the vacant belt. Speaking post-fight, an elated Hrgovic said: “Thank you, let me tell you something. “It was not me tonight; it was Jesus Christ in me. Holy Spirit, Father, son and the Holy Spirit. “It was not me. I was losing every round. I was outboxed. “And I don’t know where I got the energy in that round.“It was really not my strength; it was the Holy Spirit. View Tweet: https://t.co/594Tc2LNJuHrgovic shipped a hellacious beating from Itauma before he turned the tablesGetty“He gave me the strength in this camp to endure everything and to have the best camp of my life. “He put me in touch with this great coach, Abel Sanchez.“I was in the best shape of my life because of him. He put me in touch with my manager, who changed my life. “The best manager in business. Perfect camp and perfect fight.”Story of the fightItauma got off to a blistering start, landing at will with a stabbing left hand to the body and a sharp lead hook.This is a developing story and is being updated.For the latest updates, breaking news alerts, and comprehensive analysis, refresh this page or follow our real-time news coverage by watching and listening to talkSPORT live.For broader context, explore related coverage on our homepage for the top trending stories. For the latest talkSPORT videos, download the app.talkSPORT cares about getting it right, not just getting it first and because this is a developing situation, details will change. We will be updating this page constantly with verified info, expert takes, and official statements.Stay tuned for further developments as this story continues to break. This is a developing story and is being updated.For the latest updates, breaking news alerts, and comprehensive analysis, refresh this page or follow our real-time news coverage by watching and listening to talkSPORT live.For broader context, explore related coverage on our homepage for the top trending stories. For the latest talkSPORT videos, download the app.talkSPORT cares about getting it right, not just getting it first and because this is a developing situation, details will change. We will be updating this page constantly with verified info, expert takes, and official statements.Stay tuned for further developments as this story continues to break.