Filip Hrgovic is sitting pretty as the IBF mandatory challenger to the winner of the heavyweight world title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois in Poland on August 26 – and in his mind there is only one man who he is likely to be facing down the line.
The Croatian big man has earned his shot at the winner with a run of victories over Demsey McKean, Zhilei Zhang, Emir Ahmatovic and Marko Radonjic in the last three years. Next up is the big one – his first tilt at a world title.
Speaking to Boxing News, he was asked how he sees Usyk-Dubois going and sided with the skills of the Ukrainian multi-weight champion.
“I think Usyk will outbox him, and he’ll push the pace, he’ll throw a lot of punches.”
He then went on to assess Dubois’ style and said it wouldn’t be intense enough to trouble Usyk.
“I think Dubois is too slow for him and he will not be capable to land a shot, you know, because Usyk moves too much, feint too much, he’s quick on the feet.”
Hrgovic, like the majority of the boxing world, thinks Dubois has only a puncher’s chance of victory but said that he sees even that as unlikely.
“Dubois will have a problem to land something. He’s too strong to put big pressure, throw a lot of punches, so I think, you know, you never know in boxing, I give Dubois a puncher’s chance, but I don’t see he can handle Usyk’s skills.”
There are now only a couple of days until we find out whether Dubois can step up to this huge challenge and come out victorious.