Croatian IBF Mandatory Challenger
Croatian heavyweight boxer Filip Hrgovic commented on the victory of the WBA/WBO/IBF/IBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk in revenge with Anthony Joshua and assessed his chances in a duel with a Ukrainian.
“Usyk is a great fighter, but at the same time he is a warrior. He is not just a technical, tactically competent boxer, but also a warrior. Usyk gives 100 percent, throws a lot of punches. He’s really strong mentally.”
“Usyk is a warrior, there is no doubt about that. Anthony Joshua had a good ninth round and I think that’s the only round he did well. Joshua went forward, throwing body shots. Even if the punches were blocking, Joshua made Usyk lose his balance. So Anthony should fight in all rounds like in the ninth. But we have what we have. I hope I get into the ring with Usyk and show how to fight.”
Previously, the IBF ordered Usyk to defend his belt in a fight with Hrgovic. The head of Top Rank, Bob Arum, said that Hrgovic would not interfere with the unification fight between Usyk and Tyson Fury, since Usyk’s next title defense should take place through the WBA line.
Recall that Croatian Hrgovic defeated Zhang Zhilei from China in August and won the status of a mandatory contender for the IBF world title.
Source: Sportarena
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
