Could you name the best heavyweights in the world? If you were asked to cobble together a list, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are likely at the top. Also, considering how good both looked recently, some may view Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker as the division’s best. Regardless of who’s chosen, Filip Hrgovic is never in the mix. If you asked him, however, he believes there isn’t a single heavyweight alive who’s better than he is.
“In my mind, I’m the best,” Hrgovic told a group of reporters.
The 31-year-old currently sits in an ideal position. With the IBF sanctioning body placing him as their mandatory contender, he’s hoping that he’ll be given the winner of the upcoming showdown between Fury and Usyk.
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s incredibly unlikely that Hrgovic will get his wish. Still, he isn’t petulant over Usyk and Fury signing a two-fight deal. In all likelihood, after their first showdown, the winner will be forced to hand over their IBF title.
If that happens, Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) could find himself standing across the ring from Joshua in the second half of 2024. Whether it’s Joshua, Fury, or Usyk, Hrgovic couldn’t care less. In his mind, no one is operating on his level.
Singing his own praises, nevertheless, won’t push him towards the top of anyone’s charts. Hrgovic knows that he can’t talk his way into the position he wants. Instead, from the outside looking in, he guesses that his peers and fans view him as a respectable heavyweight, nothing more, nothing less. That will all change, however, once he gets the fights that he wants.
“I didn’t have a chance to show that so I would say top 10,” said Hrgovic when asked to rate himself. “But in my mind, I’m the best. I feel like I can beat everyone but I need to prove that.”