Filip Hrgovic had already done enough to earn a shot at the IBF world title. But, just because you’re entitled to a shot at the crown, it doesn’t mean you’ll get what you deserve.
Normally, Hrgovic’s best weapon in the ring is his left hook, it might still be. This time around, however, he tied both his hands behind his back and began to play the waiting game. With Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury contractually bound to each other for the next pair of fights, Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) figured that the next best thing he could do was to remain busy.
From that standpoint, this year has been a success. He started off his 2023 with a 12th-round stoppage win over Demsey McKean. He then parlayed that victory into another, this time against Mark De Mori.
After crushing his man in the first round, Hrgovic made his intentions known that the winner between Usyk and Fury is number one on his hit list. Of course, if he isn’t given his opportunity immediately, Hrgovic is alright with keeping an active schedule.
The heavyweight division has a ton of options to choose from but at the moment, few are hotter than Jared Anderson. Although he’s highly regarded and viewed as a future star, Hrgovic doesn’t see what all the hype is about. When asked to give his thoughts on him as a fighter, the 31-year-old claimed that he could take Anderson (16-0, 15 KOs) out without breaking a sweat.
News of Hrgovic viewing him as a tenuous opponent got back to Anderson. He flashed a bright smile before jumping on social media. Anderson didn’t fire back with his own brazen threats. He simply remained calm before sending Hrgovic a succinct warning.
“Be careful what you ask for,” wrote Anderson on his Instagram account. “Be careful what you ask for.”