Filip Hrgovic (18-1, 14 KOs) says his goal is to get a rematch with IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois to try and avenge his loss to him following his career-saving 10-round unanimous decision win over Joe Joyce (16-4, 15 KOs) on Saturday night at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
Physical Struggles
Hrgoivic says he’ll have to fight in a title eliminator against one of the top contenders to put him in position to fight Dubois or one of the other champions in the division. He says he expects to be back in the ring in the summer. However, Hrgovic suffered cuts over both eyes, and those will need to heal. He will need to make it through camp for him to fight this summer in a title eliminator.
A beat-up looking Hrgovic admitted after the fight that he wasn’t at his best, blaming it on having a short three-week camp that prevented him from being 100%. However, Filip looked the same as he had in his previous fight against Dubois, but then again, he said he wasn’t physically in optimal condition for that one either. It’s what happens when fighters age. They’re rarely injury-free.
Tonight, Hrgovic landed enough clean, hard punches against the ‘The Juggernaut’ Joyce to win by the scores 97-93, 98-92, and 96-95. Hrgovic fought well down the stretch in rounds 8, 9, and 10 to get the win. It was not a vintage performance from Hrgovic, but like he said, his camp was short and he wasn’t at 100%.
When you hear a fighter making excuses after repeated lackluster performances, you must believe they cannot confront the truth about themselves. Hrgovic isn’t good enough, and he blames it on age, injuries, poor training, or whatever. He’s not talented enough to overcome all these problems.
Dubois Rematch Goal
“This guy [Joe Joyce] beat Dubois, and I beat him. So, I want a rematch with Daniel Dubois,” said Filip Hrgovic to DAZN Boxing following his victory over Joe Joyce tonight, saying he wants a rematch with IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois.
“I did really bad in my last fight. Congratulations to him. He did an amazing job last year, and of course, I would like to have a rematch. I would like to fight in a title eliminator and fight for a title. That’s my goal, to win a world title. I think I need one more fight to get in position,” said Hrgovic.
Last Updated on 04/05/2025
