Dubois Picks The Winner Of Joyce vs. Hrgovic – ‘He Means Business’
Joe Joyce and Filip Hrgovic’s fight this weekend throws up many interesting talking points.
Joyce is facing pressure over his form, having lost three of his previous four bouts. Two defeats to Zhilei Zhang and then Derek Chisora have raised question marks over whether he should retire. Before the Zhang fight, Joyce was the WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion, meaning he was in a position to face Oleksandr Usyk, who later went on to become undisputed.
Meanwhile, Hrgovic also has a chip on his shoulder. He suffered the first lost of his career in his previous bout when he faced Daniel Dubois. The latter knocked him out, as he became the IBF Interim Heavyweight Champion. Dubois was then elevated to the full champion status once Oleksandr Usyk vacated. The loser knows they will have a long way to go before they can get back to big-time boxing.
Dubois faced the two fighters as he gave his thoughts on the matter. Joyce stopped Dubois after the latter suffered a fractured eye socket. That raised suggestions that Dubois quit in fights. He also suffered this criticism when Usyk stopped him, as Daniel failed to beat the count in time.
“He didn’t quit against Joe Joyce, he had his orbital bones in his eyes were broken. They were broken in four places and the specialist said he would have wound up losing sight in his eye with a detached retina. Listen if you want to have a look at the medical report, you can. He was out for a long time while it healed. I’ll take it up with my new mate, but one things for sure he did not quit against the No.1 mandatory fighter in Filip Hrgovic. He was under pressure in the first two rounds and he certainly didn’t quit against Jarrell Miller. I don’t think he quit [against Usyk],” Warren stated
Dubois Reacts
However, Dubois silenced Hrgovic when he stopped him. That win made him the IBF Interim Heavyweight Champion. Dubois later went on to become the full IBF Heavyweight Champion and defended it by stopping Anthony Joshua in his last fight. Dubois had plenty to say over the fight, saying Hrgovic can win.
“I think Hrgovic can win it, he’s got a good style. He’s had the time to rebuild, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s interesting, is Joe going to come in and maul him? I’m looking forward to it to see what Hrgovic is like now. I heard an interview the other day where he said he’s ready and means business, so we’ll see,” Dubois said
Joyce and Hrgovic know that another loss will push their stock down even further. With the introduction of the Saudis into boxing, there is an opportunity to capitalize on big fights to end their careers with their financial future secure. It is a must-win fight for both men.
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