It would be too simplistic - and unfair - to say Hrgovic won the fight purely through mind games, but the 34-year-old had succeeded in making the build-up uncomfortable. Hrgovic spent fight week repeatedly attacking Itauma's age, dismissing him as "just a kid". Eventually Itauma lost his composure at the weigh-in, shoving Hrgovic before the Croatian responded with a slap.

Itauma prides himself on being unusually cerebral for a heavyweight. He reads psychology and self-help books and talks openly about sharpening his mind. But there is always a danger that deep thinking becomes overthinking, something Anthony Joshua has been accused of repeatedly. Whether the pre-fight barbs played any part or not, Itauma's gameplan was clear; he wanted to end the night early.

"Someone said to me he doesn't feel like he'd win a world title unless he knocks him out. I didn't like that," promoter Frank Warren said afterwards. That mindset was understandable because it had served Itauma extraordinarily well until now. But perhaps Hrgovic had been underestimated. Hrgovic is an Olympic bronze medallist who went 12 hard rounds with Zhilei Zhang, while against Daniel Dubois he was leading on two of the three scorecards before the fight was stopped.

Itauma showed that many of the qualities which looked spectacular against lesser opposition still worked. He proved he can take a punch, his hand speed troubled Hrgovic and he made the Zagreb fighter look slow. Hrgovic's advice: "Don't give up. Don't lose confidence. Get a few easy fights... Build again and learn off these mistakes." The aura of untouchable perfection is gone. The schoolboy has been taught a lesson.