Filip Hrgovic’s co-promoter Kalle Sauerland says that the next fight for the Croatian heavyweight will finally be an IBF final eliminator.
Sauerland and Eddie Hearn, who also co-promotes Hrgovic, went public recently stating that offers had been made to the IBF top 15 to face their number four contender but that they had hit a dead end. It had looked at one stage that Michael Hunter would step up to the plate when Hearn won the purse bids for that particular bout in April. The American then withdrew from the fight.
Rather than be on the shelf, having not fought since last November, Hrgovic was given a run out in Austria at the weekend destroying the vastly overmatched Marko Radonjic in three rounds.
“Next for Filip Hrgovic is the final eliminator for the IBF world heavyweight championship and that is a fight that will take place later this year,” Sauerland told Sky Sports.
“It’s a massive opportunity for him to fulfil his dream of becoming World Champion. El Animal is coming.”
Joseph Parker’s manager David Higgins recently said that the former WBO heavyweight champion, who sits one spot below Hrgovic with the IBF, would face him if the right offer was made.
Current IBF champion Anthony Joshua defends his title as well as the WBA and WBO belts against the latter’s mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk on September 25.