Enlightened-One wrote: ↑10 Sep 2021, 12:16
candyslim wrote: ↑10 Sep 2021, 11:56Hrgovic was willing to fight Michael Hunter for about $275k but Hunter turned the fight down for 150% of what Hrgovic was getting.
Hunter is capable of earning around the same sum or possibly even more facing far easier opposition (as per the terms of his deal with Triller).
cs: Hunter was totally within his rights to reject the offer/opportunity, I don't dispute that, although one might consider a truly confident fighter might back himself to win and secure a big payday and a shot at the title. I can fully understand why Hunter might prefer to take an easier opponent for the kind of money on offer.
I accurately predicted that Hunter would reject the Hrgovic bout, because the purse being offered was far too small. The situation mirrored Dillian Whyte’s reasoning for rejecting the Kubrat Pulev bout.
cs: You definitely did, I remember your post. It wasn't a complete shock though was it? Fair dos though you called it I was quiet
The Croatian might be more amenable to fight for paltry purses, because he’s a commercially unpopular fighter that constantly engages in meaningless and unnecessarily obscene mismatches.
cs: That maybe so. If he can't get a quality opponent he probably thinks any fight is better than no fight.
candyslim wrote: ↑10 Sep 2021, 11:56The winner would be made mandatory for Joshua's IBF belt and could be sure that Joshua would defend against him provided he still had the title to defend.
AJ will not be obliged to perform a mandatory defence of his IBF title any sooner than 2023.
cs: That will be upon us soon enough. History confirms he won't be allowed to be avoided forever by the belt-holder.
candyslim wrote: ↑10 Sep 2021, 11:56As I understand it Hrgovic has ruled out no opponent and is satisfied with the money on offer for the chance to earn a guaranteed title shot.
Hrgovic's handlers don't seem to have much faith in him, because they won't invest in meaningful bouts.
cs: I don't know how much financial muscle Sauerlands have post covid, but I would seriously doubt they lack faith in his ability. If you are pointing the finger at Matchroom their man is Joshua. It makes little sense for them to invest a lot of money into building a platform for the man who might turn out to be Joshua's nemesis.
World-rated fighters require decent paydays, which costs money.
cs: They need incentives certainly. That can be money or opportunity. Obviously opportunity requires self-belief because opportunity is little reward if you don't believe you can seize it.
If the Sauerland’s are unwilling to speculate, then this suggests they have little faith in their ability to eventually accumulate.
cs: See my second last comment above.
candyslim wrote: ↑10 Sep 2021, 11:56
The IBF are sticklers for their rules so we can be confident they have offered the fight to fighters ranked below Hunter in their listings yet it doesn't look like anybody is wanting to fight Hrgovic for the money on offer even if winning guarantees a title shot.
This is your assumption.
cs: It is my assumption but it's an assumption bases on the IBF's record of taking no sh1t and imposing their rules on those who choose to be subject to them.
There is no evidence of other fighters, not named Hunter, having rejected
decent payday offers to face Hrgovic.
cs: You're right, there is no evidence. To me that suggests either it has been handled discreetly and without publicity or it never happened. This might be because they are still deliberating their options or maybe they have decided to make Hrgovic mandatory by default.
A gentle reminder, AJ will not be obliged to perform a mandatory defence of his IBF title any sooner than 2023.
cs: You said that. All the more reason for the IBf not to be rushed into a decision.
candyslim wrote: ↑10 Sep 2021, 11:56Unless I've misunderstood the situation it seems wrong to blame the one fighter who is willing to fight anyone nominated by the IBF for the money on offer.
I blame the Sauerlands (now operating as Wasserman). They won't fund decent fights.
cs: You know who you blame but what you have posted on several occasions has given me the impression that you blame the fighter and I think there are a whole host of heavyweights I'd be reproachful about before I got down to Hrgovic. His career as an amateur and WSB star demonstrate he is well accustomed to fighting the best in the world. He won't be fazed by any opponent and how many current top twenty heavyweights can you confidently say that about?
candyslim wrote: ↑10 Sep 2021, 11:56
Now you may want to blame Matchroom for failing to back Hrgovic financially, but Matchroom is Eddie Hearn whose main priority is Anthony Joshua.
Matchroom is partially responsible, though I'm led to believe Hearn's affiliation with Hrgovic has technically ended.
cs: I had thought that but it was you brought up Matchroom and I took it that I must have been wrong. I fully accept i am nowhere near to being as aware of such developments as your good self.
However, I feel that the Sauerland's are mainly responsible.
cs: I think they are to blame along with Filp's reputation for being someone you don't want to mess with unless you are going to be handsomely remuneratedi in a way that Sauerland/Wasserman seem unwilling or unable to match.
Anyway, back to your point... heavyweight fighters affiliated with the Matchroom stable have generally done well (i.e. Chisora, Whyte, Allen, Parker, Usyk, Price etc.).
cs: No arguments there but maybe Eddie wasn't so motivated to keep AJ away from those guys. I could be way off the mark with that, i know.
candyslim wrote: ↑10 Sep 2021, 11:56You have ask why Eddie Hearn would invest good money to secure a fight for a Croatian fighter which won't be a hit at the box-office, purely in order to get Hrgovic a shot at Joshua. If Eddie sees Hrgovic the same way I do, he's not going to spend big money to buy his man AJ a banana-skin to place at the top of his stairs is he?
It’s not as if Hrgovic’s handlers (the Sauerland's) are doing their upmost to build a loyal fanbase, because as well as constantly engaging in hideously obscene mismatches, Filip seems to fight in a different country every time he competes (i.e. Croatia, Latvia, Germany, USA, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Austria etc.).
cs:Yes it doesn't seem like a sensible approach at all.
Established world-rated fighters aren’t going to take a significant pay cut to fight an anonymous unproven prospect that has no fan-base.
cs: Answered in my comment about eleven before this one.
For the record, Matchroom and Wasserman (formerly Sauerland) are now rivals, since they provide boxing content for rival networks (i.e. DAZN vs. Sky).
cs: Ok
I believe that Hearn is still buddies with the Sauerland's, but their network rivalry may make fights between both teams more challenging/complicated, which will very likely hinder Hrgovic's options/opportunities.
cs: Surety the opponent selection can't possibly go downhill
