Cornish out - Filip Hrgovic v Hardcore Mansour anounced

[joshj909]

Much better fight in my opinion, irregardless of Mansour's age.

FYI:

Cornish has been ruled out on medical grounds

[DrDuke]

Wow, that sounds interesting! Mansour is a helluva fighter. The toughest test for Hrgovic so far.

[Enlightened-One]

The 26 year old Croation scores a decision victory (or perhaps even a late stoppage) over the excessively-hyped American geriatric drugs cheat that is twenty years his senior.

[DrDuke]

The 26 year old Croation scores a decision victory (or perhaps even a late stoppage) over the excessively-hyped American geriatric drugs cheat that is twenty years his senior.

I suppose, the outcome will be like you've mentioned, but I don't think Mansour should be underestimated. His age with a pretty long time off can become a factor, but he's proven be tough.

[Enlightened-One]

The 26 year old Croation scores a decision victory (or perhaps even a late stoppage) over the excessively-hyped American geriatric drugs cheat that is twenty years his senior.

I suppose, the outcome will be like you've mentioned, but I don't think Mansour should be underestimated. His age with a pretty long time off can become a factor, but he's proven be tough.

Expect Mansour to start well, using his experience to fight cautiously and using the entirety of the ring during the early rounds, but will inevitably fade by the mid-stages of the bout, allowing the much younger Hrgovic to take over the winning momentum of the fight.

I’m not suggesting that the American is an easy challenge to overcome, but he’s 46 years of age and he will inevitably be forced to undergo regular unannounced PED testing for this bout. So we don’t really know how good a “clean” version of the veteran Mansour is.

[joshj909]

The 26 year old Croation scores a decision victory (or perhaps even a late stoppage) over the excessively-hyped American geriatric drugs cheat that is twenty years his senior.

I suppose, the outcome will be like you've mentioned, but I don't think Mansour should be underestimated. His age with a pretty long time off can become a factor, but he's proven be tough.

Although i expect Hrgovic to win, i agree that Mansour is a credible opponent.

Did well against Kuzmin until the headclash and was 50-44 up on the cards against Breazeale before the injury in the 5th.

Also, although his age is significant, he doesn't have that many miles on the clock in terms of ring-time compared to your average 35+ year old heavyweight.

(he's also a significant improvement from the scheduled Cornish or any of Hrgovic last opponents)

[jamamb]

he wasnt doing well vs kuzmin at all imo, was getting walked down and looked outmanned

[Ruthless-RKO]

Much better fight. Mansour is tough.

[sweetviolenturge]

This is a good step up in the level of opponent for the Croatian. I'm looking forward to the fight.
I think Hrgovic stops him in about 7 or 8 rounds. Then, assuming that Mansour continues his career I'd be curious to see how Joe Joyce would do against the American in comparison.
To be honest, I was hoping that Joyce would have stepped up to this level of opposition before Hrgovic did but it seems that Joyce's change in trainers has delayed his progress a wee bit.

[Best Coast]

Much better fight. Mansour is tough.

Definitely!! It's the toughest test any of the 2016 Olympic HWs have taken so far in the pro ranks!!

Although Mansour is up there is age, he is still a legit gatekeeper for fighters on the way up.

[candyslim]

Agreed. A very good test for young Hrgovic. I expect him to win by decision or late ref intervention (stopping AM taking further punishment).

Teslenko has a decent fight coming up to in Avery Gibson, who isn't as well known or respected as Mansour, but is always a stern examination for any prospect.

[joshj909]

Teslenko has a decent fight coming up to in Avery Gibson, who isn't as well known or respected as Mansour, but is always a stern examination for any prospect.

That happened last week. Teslenko won a 6 round decision (58-55, 59-54, 60-53) and knocked him down in round 1.

[candyslim]

Thanks for that Josh. Must've got my dates wrong. At least my prediction was ok.

[jamamb]

hrgovic looks pretty slow and lumbering to me and not really very hard to hit, tom little actually managed to rock him and gorman easily and quickly destroyed a guy who took him full 8. has very little snap on his shots either, there all kinda pushed out there .

i feel like ppl just go by his am credentials and not how hes actually looked as a pro. big strong guy but im not sure hes really a next top hw

[victor-romeo]

hrgovic looks pretty slow and lumbering to me and not really very hard to hit, tom little actually managed to rock him and gorman easily and quickly destroyed a guy who took him full 8. has very little snap on his shots either, there all kinda pushed out there .

i feel like ppl just go by his am credentials and not how hes actually looked as a pro. big strong guy but im not sure hes really a next top hw

I think Hrgovic biggest weakness that he will have to improve on over the long haul is punching power. I think he is tough, big, a warrior and shown a good engine in the fights I have seen him along with a good jab, but without punching power he will never turn into a historical fighter, although I am sure at a minimum he has a title shot before it's all over.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[jamamb]

hrgovic has a face that just always looks scowling and angry. hed make for a good movie bad guy

[candyslim]

hrgovic looks pretty slow and lumbering to me and not really very hard to hit, tom little actually managed to rock him and gorman easily and quickly destroyed a guy who took him full 8. has very little snap on his shots either, there all kinda pushed out there .

i feel like ppl just go by his am credentials and not how hes actually looked as a pro. big strong guy but im not sure hes really a next top hw

I have to admit I was convinced he was the real deal but a few doubts have crept in recently. The comparison between his and Gorman's performance against "Big Sexy" Sean Turner is certainly part of that. I'm sure he will impact the top of the division but that might be more a reflection of the relative strength of the division, or lack of it.

I find it interesting that when considering the question posed in a recent thread, "Best Hwt outside the top ten" my answer was Joe Joyce rather than Hrgovic, whereas I've always rated Hrgovic the better prospect. Joyce is of course older and more seasoned - that must be it.

[Heretic]

Good step up for the young guy. Mansour has never disappointed me so far.

If Hrgovic does well in this one hes starting to get close to rank 15 for me.

Time to see what he got against real opponent

[morm]

i really think Hrgovic make a quick win, and the bet on him is 1.01 that show as many things....

[Ruthless-RKO]

This made me laugh a little..

[Enlightened-One]

I accurately predicted Mansour's demise. The American was excessively-hyped and far too old.

I got aggressively derided for challenging Mansour's world title credentials, but despite all the hatred, I was ultimately proven to be right.

[candyslim]

I'd be surprised if anyone was advancing the case for Amir Mansour's world title credentials, certainly not recently, but most respect him as a very tough opponent for those young men who aspire to world title credentials. He's always in shape and generally gives a very good account of himself.

I thought he was showing signs of deterioration in his fight with Sergei Kuzmin, which ended in an unsatisfactory manner, and it's no surprise to me that Hrgovic was too much for him. At his age he was running on borrowed time.

I will always respect Amir Mansour as one tough s.o.b. and I derive no pleasure from having my expectations confirmed.

[punchoutsb]

I accurately predicted Mansour's demise. The American was excessively-hyped and far too old.

I got aggressively derided for challenging Mansour's world title credentials, but despite all the hatred, I was ultimately proven to be right.

You predicted a decision (or perhaps a late stoppage); that did not happen therefore your prediction was not accurate.

[Enlightened-One]

I accurately predicted Mansour's demise. The American was excessively-hyped and far too old.

I got aggressively derided for challenging Mansour's world title credentials, but despite all the hatred, I was ultimately proven to be right.

You predicted a decision (or perhaps a late stoppage); that did not happen therefore your prediction was not accurate.

The outcome matched my expectations that I articulated to the forum. I didn't predict the precise round the bout would end, but I knew how the fight would play out.

For sure, some people like myself expected a defeat for Mansour, but others aggressively derided me for claiming that fighter like Wilder and Whyte weren't ducking Amir.

Are you honestly suggesting that people didn't claim that Dillian Whyte ducked Amir Mansour?