No rumor for fight from Filip Hrgovic ?

[morm]

Comeone some rumor ?
Hunter is off, Bakole in conversation
I watch every day for some news .....

[Enlightened-One]

I thought that Filip Hrgović was facing Michael Hunter next. Or at least that's what Nisse Sauerland and Eddie Hearn recently conveyed.

I guess the COVID-19 situation in the UK may have affected the scheduling of that fight.

[Rgoodwin]

Comeone some rumor ?
Hunter is off, Bakole in conversation
I watch every day for some news .....

I saw that too.

[joshj909]

Hrgovic vs Bakole is a fairly good fight. They both believe that they can get to the top and fans are pretty split in their opinions of both of them. Hrgovic should win but he'd have to put in a better performance than he usually does.

[candyslim]

Yes that would be an excellent match. I'd definitely favour Hrgovic but it would be anything but a gimme.

Unlikely to happen though, there aren't too many heavyweights who are really looking for a challenge unless it's for big money and a shiny waist adornment.

[Gnome]

Yes that would be an excellent match. I'd definitely favour Hrgovic but it would be anything but a gimme.

Unlikely to happen though, there aren't too many heavyweights who are really looking for a challenge unless it's for big money and a shiny waist adornment.

Decent match but Bakole was far from impressive vs an overweight Kuzmin.

[candyslim]

True but then Hrgovic didn't exactly cover himself in glory against Molina.

[Thomastearns]

Yes that would be an excellent match. I'd definitely favour Hrgovic but it would be anything but a gimme.

Unlikely to happen though, there aren't too many heavyweights who are really looking for a challenge unless it's for big money and a shiny waist adornment.

Yes, it's the bane of the sport. Can't think of any other sport where the athletes dictate the terms.

Even in chess the champion nowadays must face mandatory defences.

Likewise the great tennis champion Bjorn Borg was not allowed to dictate terms to the WTA.

If a boxer wants to fight at a different weight then they can have that privilege at the cost of starting again from scratch. It's only fair to those who have been plugging away for years to get a shot at the title, sometimes any title!

Dubois v Joyce and Dubois v Gorman were rare instances of where a boxer was prepared to face any opponent. Ultimately it was down to Daniel Dubois being prepared to fight whoever his manager put before him.

Hardly ever happens, and after what happened there it's even less likely to happen in future.

This is now a sport where the boxers and their advisers are in total control.

Can you imagine this in any other sport?

Hrgovic v Okolie would be an excellent matchup, one in which the British boxer might be the narrowest favourite down to the predictability of his opponent.

Since Wilder, Fury and AJ could now be tied up for years, these matchups need to be made.

[candyslim]

Yes that would be an excellent match. I'd definitely favour Hrgovic but it would be anything but a gimme.

Unlikely to happen though, there aren't too many heavyweights who are really looking for a challenge unless it's for big money and a shiny waist adornment.

Yes, it's the bane of the sport. Can't think of any other sport where the athletes dictate the terms.

cs: You're not wrong.

Even in chess the champion nowadays must face mandatory defences. /

cs: Wouldn't it be something if the Swiss System was mandated for professional boxing. For those who don't know this is, or at least used to be, prevalent in chess tournaments whereby first round matches were selected at random after that winners were drawn against each other as were the losers and those who had drawn. Then in the third round same would apply only now you'd have extra groups of won one/lost one or drew both, won one/drew one, lost one/drew one and so it would continue until you had two undefeated players in the final (and maybe two players without a win)

Likewise the great tennis champion Bjorn Borg was not allowed to dictate terms to the WTA.

cs: I'm guessing they don't have four competing corrupt and revenue obsessed governing bodies in tennis. That probably helps.

If a boxer wants to fight at a different weight then they can have that privilege at the cost of starting again from scratch. It's only fair to those who have been plugging away for years to get a shot at the title, sometimes any title!

cs: I've no problem with boxers being given credit for their achievements in other weight classes but I think the WBO take it way too far. Usyk being mandatory at Heavyweight having beaten Chazz Witherspoon. I think an additional win over Chisora doesn't cut it either, this has created an absurd and unnecessary obstacle to getting the fight we all want to see. Just imagine if the four horsemen of the apocalypse were considered irrelevant, having been superceded by just one governing body run by an elected committee of boxing fans. I can dream can't I?

Dubois v Joyce and Dubois v Gorman were rare instances of where a boxer was prepared to face any opponent. Ultimately it was down to Daniel Dubois being prepared to fight whoever his manager put before him.

cs: Yeah what idiot claimed that fortune favours the brave, eh? I mean losing to Joyce shouldn't be much of a set-back only now he's got a potentially career threatening injury to his orbital bone and a reputation as a quitter among dumb-fuckers who think he should have carried on even at the expense of his sight. I wouldn't mind so much if the critics were ignorant twats who'd never laced on a pair of gloves but the most vociferous were other boxers FFS

Hardly ever happens, and after what happened there it's even less likely to happen in future.

cs: I do hope you're wrong about that but if that example has any effect it certainly won't be to encourage such admirable ambition in the future. Pathetic isn't it: Dubois shows the courage so conspicuously absent in others, to take on a fellow comer with world title aspirations, and instead of applauding his courage for that, there are c* nts calling him out for cowardice. Sometimes I despair of the human race.

This is now a sport where the boxers and their advisers are in total control.

cs: Which is why we have more alphabet orgs and weight-classes than you can shake a stick at. Boxers want them, Promoters want them, Networks want them. Fans sure as hell don't.

Can you imagine this in any other sport?

cs : No but my imagination is not good according to BoxRec John.

Hrgovic v Okolie would be an excellent matchup, one in which the British boxer might be the narrowest favourite down to the predictability of his opponent.

cs: Can't agree with you there. Okolie shows a lot more promise than I originally gave him credit for, but he needs a Chazz Witherspoon before even dreaming about a Hrgovic. FH might have got a bit carried away with his punching power but he is still one of the best bets for future world championship belt-holder in my opinion. It might be a great match in the future though.

Since Wilder, Fury and AJ could now be tied up for years, these matchups need to be made.

cs: Which is ironically a rather good argument for keeping the multi-org, multi-belt status quo.

My comments above preceded by "cs:"

[Thomastearns]

[Hrgovic v Okolie would be an excellent matchup, one in which the British boxer might be the narrowest favourite down to the predictability of his opponent.]

cs: Can't agree with you there. Okolie shows a lot more promise than I originally gave him credit for, but he needs a Chazz Witherspoon before even dreaming about a Hrgovic. FH might have got a bit carried away with his punching power but he is still one of the best bets for future world championship belt-holder in my opinion. It might be a great match in the future though.



Hrgovic has been a promising contender for quite a while but his career seems to have stalled somewhat. A bit similar situation to Joe Joyce, who if he hadn't got the Dubois fight would still be in the wilderness.

Ok, he's only 28, as is Okolie, and that these days isn't regarded as peak, but Lawrence Okolie has also been impressive so far.

Who knows, maybe 2 /3 years down the line they'll both remain unbeaten and still be heading for a showdown? Anyway, there doesn't seem any chance of that fight happening anytime soon. As usual, we fans have to wait, and wait.

We're almost fully used to it by now.

In any case Okolie must take care of Glowacki next and then see what's happening further up the mountain before deciding on his own particular route to the top.

Hrgovic is currently a higher up the slippery slope and the terrain ahead for him is quite a bit more tricky too.

His co-manager Nisse Sauerland is no doubt looking hard and long at the best route. So many belts, so many different routes...with a ton of money waiting at the summit.

With so many belts available boxing is more akin to mountaineering than just being a gladiatorial 1 v 1 sport in the colloseum.


https://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/1 ... n-saturday

[candyslim]

I think Okolie's ambitions are/should remain, at Cruiserweight for the time-being but his height and frame suggest he may campaign at Heavyweight in the future.

I agree Hrgovic has plateaud out for the moment which is probably due to a combination of the pandemic, the geography (Croatia being not a major boxing hub), and being a high risk/low reward opponent. Hopefully he can get back on track before long.

[gregregegg]

Eddie won the purse bid for hrgocvic vs hunter IBF elliminator, for supposedly $600,000, seems a bargain to me... Could be its own fight night, could even be its own weakish PPV, but hopefully its used as a great AJ vs Fury under card fight, makes sense too seeing as its for mandatory to one of the belts.

[candyslim]

It's never going to be PPV because neither has much of a fanbase. Croatia is a small country and not a hotbed of boxing. Hunter isn't a star in the US.

The irony is it's a way better fight than Ruiz v Arreola.

[margaret thatcher]

im gonna be pissed to high hrothgar if one of these dudes doesnt take it. it's a really nice fight for sure and both of them need to get a move on.

hrg especially might as well do something else if he's just gonna keep clubbing nobodies and shopworn guys


hearn dropped hunter didnt he. maybe a touch of revenge in the fight for mike too

[joshj909]

im gonna be pissed to high hrothgar if one of these dudes doesnt take it. it's a really nice fight for sure and both of them need to get a move on.

hrg especially might as well do something else if he's just gonna keep clubbing nobodies and shopworn guys


hearn dropped hunter didnt he. maybe a touch of revenge in the fight for mike too

In my opinion this has got to be one of the best HW fights out there that doesn't involve AJ/Fury/Wilder/Whyte. That's not something we get very often from an organisation mandated eliminator.

[Enlightened-One]

Matchroom's winning $606,666 bid, means that (based on the IBF's rules) Hunter receives $363,999.60, with Hrgovic being paid $242,666.40.

Those are very small purses, in the context of this potential bout being an IBF eliminator (i.e. a big risk, low reward fight for both men).

Filip Hrgovic is aligned with Sauerland and Matchroom, which suggests he's willing to take the fight, but then again, he's more accustomed to receiving small purses, due to the sums he would have been paid engaging in mismatches against journeyman calibre opposition.

In stark contrast, Michael Hunter is a free agent. He isn’t obliged to take this fight.

The American is very likely accustomed to receiving relatively decent paydays, such as his fights against the likes of Oleksandr Usyk, Martin Bakole, Aleksandr Ustinov, Sergey Kuzmin and Alexander Povetkin.

And let’s not forget that Dillian Whyte declined to compete in the IBF eliminator against Kubrat Pulev, because the winning purse bid resulted in him receiving a paltry $375K payday. And instead, the Brit decided to face Joseph Parker for $1.3m.

So we might see Michael Hunter going down the same route as Dillian Whyte.

If the American can earn a bigger payday facing someone else, then he’ll reject the Hrgovic fight.

And let’s be perfectly honest, the winner of the IBF eliminator won’t be granted a title challenge opportunity within the next 12 to 18 months at least.

I'd like to see Hunter facing Hrgovic, but I doubt it happens (due to a combination of small purse, UK tax rules and bigger paydays elsewhere).

Interestingly though, perhaps the lowball purse bid was an intentional ploy employed by Eddie Hearn (whose partner, the Sauerlands originally requested), because if Michael Hunter declines the fight, then the next in line to face Hrgovic, is fellow Matchroom stablemate, Joseph Parker.

Hrgovic-Parker is a much better and commercially bigger fight than Hrgovic-Hunter, as well as it being an in-house Matchroom event.

[gregregegg]

Wow didnt know parker is next in line. Hope this fight falls apart quick. hope parker smashes chis to bits, and i hope they can get parker vs either of these 2 in an IBF eliminator September... Canelo vs plant undercard mabey....

Or i hope this fight just happens very soon no drama. if this drags on for 6 months ehhhhh.

[candyslim]

You know EO, you frequently get dog's abuse on here and I often think you court it, but sometimes your posts can be thoughtful, well reasoned and educative. The one above is just such an example

[joshj909]

Kevin Lole is reporting that Michael Hunter is not going to take the IBF final eliminator against Filip Hrgovic.

Based on last month's list, next in line would be Hrgovic vs Joseph Parker.

[Enlightened-One]

Kevin Lole is reporting that Michael Hunter is not going to take the IBF final eliminator against Filip Hrgovic.

Based on last month's list, next in line would be Hrgovic vs Joseph Parker.

I was right. Hunter’s purse was too small.

And Joyce will definitely refuse to face Hrgovic, even though he beat him in the WSB, if he’s offered a similar amount.

[margaret thatcher]

gawd, these dudes be busting my balls or something , let's have some good fights for the guys who need them

[joshj909]

Kevin Lole is reporting that Michael Hunter is not going to take the IBF final eliminator against Filip Hrgovic.

Based on last month's list, next in line would be Hrgovic vs Joseph Parker.

I was right. Hunter’s purse was too small.

And Joyce will definitely refuse to face Hrgovic, even though he beat him in the WSB, if he’s offered a similar amount.

Good prediction

Joyce has his eliminator with Usyk which, although less winnable than Hrgovic in my opinion, I think he fancies himself to win. Either way, atleast it's top guys facing top guys so as long as they each face someone decent then that's better than the usual matchmaking.

[pg_1]

If Hunter has indeed pulled out, I suppose Joseph Parker would be the logical choice to step in against Hrgovic.
I think that's a tougher fight for Filip and a step up as Parker has experience at top HW title level and been in with tough, seasoned contenders. I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Bakole in there either vs Hrgovic as it was mooted at one time, or maybe even a Hrgovic vs Yoka bout.

[morm]

Ooooh my Hunter , i wait 5 monts...
For looking a good fight, now all dissaponted
Bitch

[Ruthless-RKO]

He was guaranteed around $300k