Filip Hrgovic has made his prediction for the upcoming heavyweight rematch between former opponent, Zhilei Zhang, and Joe Joyce.
Hrgovic battled with Zhang over twelve, surviving a first round knockdown to build up steam later in the fight and take it on the cards unanimously. It was a much-debated decision, with plenty believing the man from China should have had his hand raised.
He bounced back in style though, the sixth round stoppage victory over Joe Joyce due to a severely damaged eye being a career best.
In an interview with Seconds Out, Hrgovic was asked is Zhang would make it 2-0 over his British rival.
“Probably, because he got his number, right? He will probably be much more confident, and he beat him already. It’s a funny thing, because in the first fight nobody gave a chance to Zhang, and now everyone is talking different. Everyone is talking that he’s gonna kill him in the rematch. Boxing is so strange, and boxing people. One day one guy’s great, one day another guy. People change their opinions very often.
Hrgovic doesn’t count Joyce out, but he doesn’t believe in that famed durability he’s praised for, believing himself to be the only man who can stand up to ‘Big Bang’s best shots.
“But I think if Joyce can endure for six, seven, eight rounds to not get knocked out, I think Zhang will gas out and Joyce can beat him. But he needs to survive this first rounds, because Zhang is big guy and he’s fast and accurate. The thing with Joe Joyce, he’s not Filip Hrgovic. He’s not from Croatia. He can’t take these shots. There’s only one man with steel chin, and this man you are talking with right now.”
The second fight goes down on September 23 at London’s OVO Arena, Wembley.