Frank Warren responds to Chris Eubank Jr and Audley Harrison comments while backing Moses Itauma to come back stronger

The previously undefeated Itauma had seemingly been dominating the scorecards and on course to clinch the IBF belt at the age of just 21 at the weekend, only to drastically run out of steam as he was stopped in the ninth round by his Croatian counterpart.

It would prompt doubts over head coach Ben Davison from certain members of the boxing community, former Olympic champion Audley Harrison and Chris Eubank Jr among those questioning Itauma's tactics.

"I'm not commenting on any of that until I sit down with the team," Promoter Warren told Sky Sports. "They've got their opinions - they want to look at their own careers, we're worried about what Moses [Itauma] has done.

"Let's get it right you know, Audley Harrison, it just didn't happen for him. Chris Eubank is 36 years of age and he's never won a world title - in his last fight he was all over the place.

"They've got their opinions, they're entitled to them, but they all come out with their knives out afterwards but before the fight there wasn't anybody who tipped [Hrgovic] to win other things than his team."

Despite the outcome, Warren pointed to the fight as proof of both Itauma's heart and his chin after a battle of attrition against Hrgovic.

"As soon as that first bell went, he just put his foot on the throttle and put it into overdrive. That's how he fought and he didn't pace himself," Warren said.

"Obviously there's lessons to be learned and discussions to be had - lots of things to be sorted out. But he's 21 years of age and he was in with a good fighter, who only had one loss in his Olympic career.

"It is what it is and we can't change it, all we can do is learn from it. In my experience in the game, I know that there are a lot of things there we need to tweak and things that we need to do to put right.

"I genuinely believe he can go on to become a world champion and hold the title."

Warren maintained Itauma possesses the talent to come back stronger in his pursuit of a world title, referencing early defeats in the career of heavyweight great Wladimir Klitschko.

"The area is not to get him fit - just look at the pace of the fight and the amount of punches he's thrown, it's managing it and it's his fight management," Warren continued. "You haven't got to go full throttle every round and every punch you throw him, hasn't got to knock somebody over.

"If there's a wall and you've got a sledgehammer, you keep hitting it and hitting it. It doesn't always go and sometimes you've got to chip away at the foundations with a small hammer and it'll collapse.

"That's what he's got to learn and to use his talents and his skills - he will do that, I'm absolutely sure of it."