Eddie Hearn came out firmly in support of Ben Davison after Moses Itauma's first professional loss, defending the trainer's role in the aftermath of the 21-year-old's ninth-round stoppage defeat to Filip Hrgovic.
The fight had given Itauma an early moment of hope. He scored a knockdown in the second round, showing the kind of natural ability that has made him one of the sport's most watched young heavyweights. But the bout turned later, and by the ninth round Davison threw in the towel when Itauma could barely stand under his own power.
Hearn pushes back on the criticism
The loss quickly brought scrutiny toward Itauma's corner and Davison's decisions. Chris Eubank Jr. added to that criticism by sharing a screenshot of an Instagram message, while other reactions focused on whether the team had done enough to protect the unbeaten prospect.
Hearn rejected that view during media availability around the Katie Taylor vs. Flora Pili fight week. He said Davison is one of the best trainers in the world and argued that the coach deserves credit for helping shape Itauma's career, not blame for what happened once the fight got away from him.
Hearn also made the broader point that Davison cannot fight for his boxer. His view was simple: a trainer can prepare a fighter and make the right call in the corner, but at some point the boxer has to go in and battle for himself. In Hearn's words, Davison is one of the reasons, along with Itauma's natural gift, that Itauma has become the fighter he is.
What it means for Itauma and Davison
The defense matters because the backlash around the defeat has already reached beyond Itauma's immediate camp. Hearn does not promote Itauma, but he has been supportive of his career and works with many of Davison's other fighters, which gives his comments added weight.
For Itauma, the loss is a major setback, but it also came against a live opponent in a fight where he had moments of success before Hrgovic turned the pressure up. For Davison, the episode is another reminder that corner work is often judged harshly when a fighter loses, even when the trainer makes a decision to stop the punishment at the right time.
Hearn's message was that Davison should not be singled out for blame. The bigger picture, in his view, is that Itauma is still only 21 and has a lot of boxing ahead of him. That does not erase the loss, but it does explain why Hearn believes the criticism of the trainer has gone too far.
