Matchroom Boxing has won the purse bid for the IBF heavyweight title eliminator for the Filip Hrgovic vs. Michael Hunter fight to determine the mandatory for IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
This is a fight that Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has been talking about for a while now, and it’s finally about to get made.
Hrgovic (12-0, 10 KOs) is promoted by Matchroom, and some believe that he’s got the talent to win a world title at some point.
We haven’t seen the talent displayed from the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Hrgovic, suggesting that he’ll beat Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) or WBC champion Tyson Fury.
“Delighted to win the purse bid for Filip Hrgovic v MichaelHunter II – IBF final eliminator – big fight!!! @Sauerland Bros,” said Eddie Hearn on Twitter.
The 2012 U.S Olympian Hunter (19-1-1, 13 KOs) has the type of skills that could create a lot of trouble for Hrgovic if he’s unable to get him out of there with one of his trademarks behind the ear shots that he lands.
Hearn hasn’t said yet when he’d stage the Hrgovic vs. Hunter fight, but it’ll likely have its own card. It’s too important to fight for Hearn to stow it on the undercard of the July fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Although Hunter fought Alexander Povetkin on the undercard of Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr II in December 2019 in Saudi Arabia, in this case, Hrgovic vs. Hunter is a much bigger fight with more at stake for the winner.
Hearn is high on the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Hrgovic, believing he has the talent to capture a world title.
But we haven’t seen the 28-year-old Hrgovic matched against anyone remotely dangerous that could potentially beat him.
Normally, Olympians are matched tough from the get-go, but we haven’t seen that with Hrgovic. The big 6’6″ Hrgovic has been put in with the type of opposition that you normally see lesser heavyweight prospects are matched against.
In Hrgovic’s last three fights, he’s beaten 40-year-old Rydell Booker, Alexandre Kartozia, Eric Molina, and Mario Heredia.
For Hunter, he could put himself into a life-changing fight if he beats Hrgovic. It won’t be easy for Hunter, but it’s possible. He already beat a couple of Hearn’s other heavyweights in Martin Bakole and Sergy Kuzmin.
What was strange is Hearn didn’t re-sign Hunter after he fought to a controversial 10 round draw against Povetkin in 2019.
Despite many boxing fans believing Hunter deserved the win, he was given a draw. Povetkin would start later knockout Dillian Whyte in their first fight a year ago.
