Joe Joyce vs. Filip Hrgovic | DAZN - 5 April 2025

[gregregegg]

Itauma v Nelson Hysa on.

100%? I heard rumours the other day, posted it on here and then got a call to delete it as it wasn't confirmed.

Who called you?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Joyce has never been on a Riyadh Season card.

I think that’s his aim.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release

On Saturday April 5 up in Manchester at the magnificent, recently built, Co-op Live Arena, a new broadcast partnership between Queensberry and DAZN will launch with a show titled ‘Heavy Impact’.

The clue is on the name on the tin because allegedly’s maiden promotion on his new platform features major heavyweight headliners.

Sitting at the top of the bill is a cracking crossroads encounter between IBF Interim world title challenger Filip Hrgovic taking on former WBO Interim world champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Joe Joyce.

The coveted British heavyweight title will be on the line when English champion David Adeleye faces London rival Jeamie TKV Tshikeva, plus those inside the Co-op Live will also witness the professional debut on British Olympian Delicious Orie.

The Big Juggernaut Joyce was originally scheduled to fight Dillian Whyte before injury ruled out the former world title challenger.

Hrgovic suffered his only professional career defeat in June when he challenged for the vacant IBF Interim world heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois in Riyadh. It was a costly reverse for the Croatian - who was stopped in the eighth due to extensive cuts - because Dubois was subsequently upgraded to become full champion.

The 32-year-old known as El Animal had waited a long time for his shot at IBF honours, having been No.1 contender for over two years with a number of heavyweights turning down the opportunity to challenge him for his status.

His major successes came across 2022-23 when he defeated Zhilei Zhang - via a controversial decision - and then the Australian hope Demsey McKean to reinforce his credentials. As an amateur, Hrgovic won gold at the 2015 European championships and secured the bronze medal for his nation at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Joyce (16-3, 15 KOs) is seeking to restore himself to the elite heavyweight picture following his unexpected setback against Derek Chisora in July 2024. Previously, The Big Juggernaut suffered a double defeat to the Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang, where he lost his status as WBO Interim world champion.

Prior to his Zhang reverses, Joyce, 39, was considered as the emerging force of the heavyweight division with the run of victories that took him to Interim champion status. On teaming up with allegedly and Queensberry, Joyce first defeated former world title challenger Alexsandr Ustinov before taking on the American Bryant Jennings to win the WBA Gold title.

He memorably took home a clutch of title belts - British, Commonwealth, European, WBC Silver and WBO International - following his defeat of now IBF world champion Daniel Dubois at the end of 2020, before recording victory over Christian Hammer and then a show stopping knockout of former world champion Joseph Parker.

David Adeleye (13-1, 12 KOs) won the WBO European heavyweight title with victory over Dmytro Bezus in early 2023, making one successful defence, before being put forward for a British title challenge against Fabio Wardley in Riyadh in the October on the undercard of the first Riyadh Season event headlined by Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou. Wardley secured the stoppage in the seventh round and Adeleye got himself back in the title mix with a stunning first round knockout of Solomon Dacres in December to win the English title.

Jeamie TKV Tshikeva (8-1, 5 KOs) became IBO International heavyweight champion with a strong victory over Michael Webster last time out in February at Wembley. He previously defeated British rival Franklin Ignatius via a sixth round stoppage.

[cormack]

Itauma v Nelson Hysa on.

pointless 1st round bowlover if this is on

[joshj909]

Itauma v Nelson Hysa on.

pointless 1st round bowlover if this is on

It's to get him the WBO European title. He'll be WBO mandatory after crushing a WBO ranked can after that.

[jamesmcdonnell]

I think Joyce will win this.

[Jimmy2025]

I think Joyce will win this.

Hope you are right.

Has anybody seen Hrgovic since the fight was announced? I've not seen or heard from him, which isn't a problem in and of itself but it does mean I won't be making my prediction on how the fight will go, or if it goes at all, until I see him on the scales....

[Jimmy2025]

Itauma v Nelson Hysa on.

pointless 1st round bowlover if this is on

It's to get him the WBO European title. He'll be WBO mandatory after crushing a WBO ranked can after that.

Itauma won't be fighting on this card. They couldn't get a fight done.

Plan is to try and put him on the undercard of Josh Taylor's next fight in May.

Itauma's potential opponents will be asking for fortunes or point blank saying no, I bet. He's going to be hard to match for a while unless there is somebody with a huge bank account willing to pay opponents or the opponents start to realise that money is getting tight again. There's not the sort of money available thar AJ opponents, for example, were getting when he was building.

They should drop 'The New Mike Tyson' stuff IMO. He's not going to beat Mike's record (he'd miss it by two days if he somehow won a title on the date of Taylor's card)so park that line up. Who wants to be the new Mike Tyson? An overrated convicted rapist-cum-mythical figure who underachieved, and looked for a way out in his biggest fight? Don't get me wrong, I loved watching Tyson on the way up but he ultimately blew it and shouldn't be used as any kind of blueprint.

[CaptainSpacerod]

pointless 1st round bowlover if this is on

It's to get him the WBO European title. He'll be WBO mandatory after crushing a WBO ranked can after that.

Itauma won't be fighting on this card. They couldn't get a fight done.

Plan is to try and put him on the undercard of Josh Taylor's next fight in May.

Itauma's potential opponents will be asking for fortunes or point blank saying no, I bet. He's going to be hard to match for a while unless there is somebody with a huge bank account willing to pay opponents or the opponents start to realise that money is getting tight again. There's not the sort of money available thar AJ opponents, for example, were getting when he was building.

They should drop 'The New Mike Tyson' stuff IMO. He's not going to beat Mike's record (he'd miss it by two days if he somehow won a title on the date of Taylor's card)so park that line up. Who wants to be the new Mike Tyson? An overrated convicted rapist-cum-mythical figure who underachieved, and looked for a way out in his biggest fight? Don't get me wrong, I loved watching Tyson on the way up but he ultimately blew it and shouldn't be used as any kind of blueprint.

Tyson’s biggest fight was arguably Michael Spinks

[Jimmy2025]

It's to get him the WBO European title. He'll be WBO mandatory after crushing a WBO ranked can after that.

Itauma won't be fighting on this card. They couldn't get a fight done.

Plan is to try and put him on the undercard of Josh Taylor's next fight in May.

Itauma's potential opponents will be asking for fortunes or point blank saying no, I bet. He's going to be hard to match for a while unless there is somebody with a huge bank account willing to pay opponents or the opponents start to realise that money is getting tight again. There's not the sort of money available thar AJ opponents, for example, were getting when he was building.

They should drop 'The New Mike Tyson' stuff IMO. He's not going to beat Mike's record (he'd miss it by two days if he somehow won a title on the date of Taylor's card)so park that line up. Who wants to be the new Mike Tyson? An overrated convicted rapist-cum-mythical figure who underachieved, and looked for a way out in his biggest fight? Don't get me wrong, I loved watching Tyson on the way up but he ultimately blew it and shouldn't be used as any kind of blueprint.

Tyson’s biggest fight was arguably Michael Spinks

Disagree and agree at the same time given the undisputed but ultimately Spinks was a light heavyweight with knackered knees. Hype fight.

Holyfield fights were his biggest real fights for me.

[THEBUTCH]

Regardless of Spinks' weight...he could beat heavyweights. Tyson brushed him aside with no fuss whatsoever. A defining moment.

Iron Mike was already in decline before he lost to Douglas, but was still a formidable fighting machine. By the time the Holyfield fight occurred he'd been incarcerated and slipped further still, but it was a great win for Evander.

[Jimmy2025]

Regardless of Spinks' weight...he could beat heavyweights. Tyson brushed him aside with no fuss whatsoever. A defining moment.

Iron Mike was already in decline before he lost to Douglas, but was still a formidable fighting machine. By the time the Holyfield fight occurred he'd been incarcerated and slipped further still, but it was a great win for Evander.

It's one of those unwinnable debates either way. I used to love watching Mike on the way up but believe him to have a far weaker resume, legacy and character than his reputation amongst casual fans and some knowledgeable fans deserves. Don't get me wrong, he was very good but he's not Top 20 all time heavies for me.

[JamesPhilips]

pointless 1st round bowlover if this is on

It's to get him the WBO European title. He'll be WBO mandatory after crushing a WBO ranked can after that.

Itauma won't be fighting on this card. They couldn't get a fight done.

Plan is to try and put him on the undercard of Josh Taylor's next fight in May.

Itauma's potential opponents will be asking for fortunes or point blank saying no, I bet. He's going to be hard to match for a while unless there is somebody with a huge bank account willing to pay opponents or the opponents start to realise that money is getting tight again. There's not the sort of money available thar AJ opponents, for example, were getting when he was building.

They should drop 'The New Mike Tyson' stuff IMO. He's not going to beat Mike's record (he'd miss it by two days if he somehow won a title on the date of Taylor's card)so park that line up. Who wants to be the new Mike Tyson? An overrated convicted rapist-cum-mythical figure who underachieved, and looked for a way out in his biggest fight? Don't get me wrong, I loved watching Tyson on the way up but he ultimately blew it and shouldn't be used as any kind of blueprint.

Can they afford to get him on the May bill? There’s already 12 fights… Alex Arthur’s son’s on the bill. I’m sure the tickets are selling

[Jimmy2025]

It's to get him the WBO European title. He'll be WBO mandatory after crushing a WBO ranked can after that.

Itauma won't be fighting on this card. They couldn't get a fight done.

Plan is to try and put him on the undercard of Josh Taylor's next fight in May.

Itauma's potential opponents will be asking for fortunes or point blank saying no, I bet. He's going to be hard to match for a while unless there is somebody with a huge bank account willing to pay opponents or the opponents start to realise that money is getting tight again. There's not the sort of money available thar AJ opponents, for example, were getting when he was building.

They should drop 'The New Mike Tyson' stuff IMO. He's not going to beat Mike's record (he'd miss it by two days if he somehow won a title on the date of Taylor's card)so park that line up. Who wants to be the new Mike Tyson? An overrated convicted rapist-cum-mythical figure who underachieved, and looked for a way out in his biggest fight? Don't get me wrong, I loved watching Tyson on the way up but he ultimately blew it and shouldn't be used as any kind of blueprint.

Can they afford to get him on the May bill? There’s already 12 fights… Alex Arthur’s son’s on the bill. I’m sure the tickets are selling

He's training with a focus on a May date. In answer to your question, I think they could afford the EBU champion and it's the fight I'd make next for him as the belt justifies the opponent.

[JamesPhilips]

Itauma won't be fighting on this card. They couldn't get a fight done.

Plan is to try and put him on the undercard of Josh Taylor's next fight in May.

Itauma's potential opponents will be asking for fortunes or point blank saying no, I bet. He's going to be hard to match for a while unless there is somebody with a huge bank account willing to pay opponents or the opponents start to realise that money is getting tight again. There's not the sort of money available thar AJ opponents, for example, were getting when he was building.

They should drop 'The New Mike Tyson' stuff IMO. He's not going to beat Mike's record (he'd miss it by two days if he somehow won a title on the date of Taylor's card)so park that line up. Who wants to be the new Mike Tyson? An overrated convicted rapist-cum-mythical figure who underachieved, and looked for a way out in his biggest fight? Don't get me wrong, I loved watching Tyson on the way up but he ultimately blew it and shouldn't be used as any kind of blueprint.

Can they afford to get him on the May bill? There’s already 12 fights… Alex Arthur’s son’s on the bill. I’m sure the tickets are selling

He's training with a focus on a May date. In answer to your question, I think they could afford the EBU champion and it's the fight I'd make next for him as the belt justifies the opponent.

Who’s the EBU champion? Also how much would they have to pay him? Surely £100k right?

[Jimmy2025]

Can they afford to get him on the May bill? There’s already 12 fights… Alex Arthur’s son’s on the bill. I’m sure the tickets are selling

He's training with a focus on a May date. In answer to your question, I think they could afford the EBU champion and it's the fight I'd make next for him as the belt justifies the opponent.

Who’s the EBU champion? Also how much would they have to pay him? Surely £100k right?

Labinot Xhoxhaj (20 - 0 - 1) from Kosovo. I don't think they would have to pay more than £25k unless Xhoxhaj has heavy connections who are using him for a purpose.

[JamesPhilips]

He's training with a focus on a May date. In answer to your question, I think they could afford the EBU champion and it's the fight I'd make next for him as the belt justifies the opponent.

Who’s the EBU champion? Also how much would they have to pay him? Surely £100k right?

Labinot Xhoxhaj (20 - 0 - 1) from Kosovo. I don't think they would have to pay more than £25k unless Xhoxhaj has heavy connections who are using him for a purpose.

Thanks. Have never heard of him. I guess the EBU has ost its stature. £25k not a lot for defending (losing) your EBU title against the world’s alleged best prospect. How much would Itauma get?

Also just looked at EBU website:
Labinot Xhoxhaj – Mourad Aliev
Deadline p_Offers/agreements 2nd April 2025 at 12noon (Rome time)

Seems he’s lined up to fight already

[cormack]

It's to get him the WBO European title. He'll be WBO mandatory after crushing a WBO ranked can after that.

Itauma won't be fighting on this card. They couldn't get a fight done.

Plan is to try and put him on the undercard of Josh Taylor's next fight in May.

Itauma's potential opponents will be asking for fortunes or point blank saying no, I bet. He's going to be hard to match for a while unless there is somebody with a huge bank account willing to pay opponents or the opponents start to realise that money is getting tight again. There's not the sort of money available thar AJ opponents, for example, were getting when he was building.

They should drop 'The New Mike Tyson' stuff IMO. He's not going to beat Mike's record (he'd miss it by two days if he somehow won a title on the date of Taylor's card)so park that line up. Who wants to be the new Mike Tyson? An overrated convicted rapist-cum-mythical figure who underachieved, and looked for a way out in his biggest fight? Don't get me wrong, I loved watching Tyson on the way up but he ultimately blew it and shouldn't be used as any kind of blueprint.

Tyson’s biggest fight was arguably Michael Spinks

eh ! what about the buster Douglas one where he got blattered

[Jimmy2025]

Who’s the EBU champion? Also how much would they have to pay him? Surely £100k right?

Labinot Xhoxhaj (20 - 0 - 1) from Kosovo. I don't think they would have to pay more than £25k unless Xhoxhaj has heavy connections who are using him for a purpose.

Thanks. Have never heard of him. I guess the EBU has ost its stature. £25k not a lot for defending (losing) your EBU title against the world’s alleged best prospect. How much would Itauma get?

Also just looked at EBU website:
Labinot Xhoxhaj – Mourad Aliev
Deadline p_Offers/agreements 2nd April 2025 at 12noon (Rome time)

Seems he’s lined up to fight already

Hmm. Thanks. Aliev will clean his clock if they fight.

[JamesPhilips]

Labinot Xhoxhaj (20 - 0 - 1) from Kosovo. I don't think they would have to pay more than £25k unless Xhoxhaj has heavy connections who are using him for a purpose.

Thanks. Have never heard of him. I guess the EBU has ost its stature. £25k not a lot for defending (losing) your EBU title against the world’s alleged best prospect. How much would Itauma get?

Also just looked at EBU website:
Labinot Xhoxhaj – Mourad Aliev
Deadline p_Offers/agreements 2nd April 2025 at 12noon (Rome time)

Seems he’s lined up to fight already

Hmm. Thanks. Aliev will clean his clock if they fight.

Yeah. Itauma would’ve won in the first for sure

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight week!!

Frank’s DAZN debut.

[Jimmy2025]

Anybody else think they have brought Hrg in to write-off Joyce so as to get him retired and off the books?

[Oiky]

Yea not a bad shout that, joyce is a liability

[keithmoonhangover]

Anybody else think they have brought Hrg in to write-off Joyce so as to get him retired and off the books?

I do wonder how much desire Hrgovic has left. I guess we'll see at the weigh in.

[Jimmy2025]

Anybody else think they have brought Hrg in to write-off Joyce so as to get him retired and off the books?

I do wonder how much desire Hrgovic has left. I guess we'll see at the weigh in.

Yes, I will make my prediction then. Hrgovic weighing 247lb or less at a similar bf%age to his recent fights is the likely winner for me.