According to the American boxing media, the 31-year-old Croatian heavy gunner Hrgovic is ready to make his way to the world gold, and since he is currently listed as a mandatory challenger by the IBF, he has the right to directly compete for the IBF world title, and the throne is likely to become vacant after February this year, when Hrgovic will compete with others.
A lot of people might think of Tyson Fury and Usyk as the best in the current heavyweight division, and some people see Joshua and Parker as the best, but if you ask Helgovic who is the number one heavyweight in the division, he will answer without hesitation: "I think I'm the best in the heavyweight division, and I haven't had a chance to prove it yet, so most people only think of me as the top 10 in the heavyweight division, but in my mind, I'm definitely the best." I think I can beat anyone, but I need to prove it. ”
Hrgovic once defeated Zhang Zhilei on points in 12 rounds in 2022, although the score is very controversial, but judging from the statistics of punches and hits after the 12 rounds, he is far ahead, especially in the last few rounds of the game, Zhang Zhilei's physical fitness has a huge problem, and he has been wandering, and it is obvious that the decline in physical fitness is obvious, which is caused by Hrgovic's continuous output pressure. Hrgovic also became the only fighter to defeat Zhang in the professional ring so far, and he also bluntly said that he was not the best version of himself.
Since IBF No. 2 Joshua has already confirmed that he will have a crossover battle with Naganno in March, this match is all about money, and if Joshua successfully wins Naganno, he will fight Hrgovic for the vacant IBF belt in the second half of 2024.
All in all, Hrgovic is a man of great temperament and arrogance, but no one can beat him at the moment, and his current professional record is 14 knockouts out of 17 fights. As for when Zhang Zhilei can rematch Hrgovic and whether Joshua will overturn on Naganno and thus lose the chance to compete for the IBF title, let's wait and see.