On April 5, Queensberry Promotions and DAZN will kick off their inaugural card at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena. Billed as ‘Heavy Impact,’ featuring an array of exciting fights, the high-octane show promises spectators and fans a never-before-seen, edge-of-the-seat experience. The ten-round non-title bout between heavyweights Joe Joyce and Filip Hrgovic will headline the night.
During an interview with the Ring, Frank Warren highlighted that both Joyce and Hrgovic are currently in the ‘Last Chance Saloon.’ It could be a last-ditch effort to salvage whatever remains of their careers and, more importantly, their reputations. They need to regain their form and make an attempt to elevate their standing. Originally scheduled between Joyce and Dillian Whyte, the lineup underwent changes when Whyte pulled out after suffering training-related injuries.
Predicting Joe Joyce vs. Filip Hrgovic: Who has better stats and a record?
With slim chances of going the distance, one thing is clear: the Joyce-Hrgovic fight will be an explosive showdown. The reason is simple. Both the heavyweights relish stopping their opponents early in the fights. Of course, recent attempts saw them struggle. Against tougher opponents, both paid a heavy price. Despite exceptional knockout-to-win rates, it appears that with 94% of his 16 wins secured via KOs, Joyce appears to have the upper hand against Hrgovic. With 14 out of his 17 career wins ending in early stoppage, the Croatian heavyweight records an 82% KO rate.
Boxing – Joe Joyce Press Conference – London, Britain – June 16, 2021 Joe Joyce poses during the press conference Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
It’s the losses where the records diverge. Joe Joyce has thus far suffered 3 career defeats. With 2023 proving the worst year of his professional career, Zhilei Zhang inflicted two back-to-back defeats. Later he suffered a third loss when Derek Chisora defeated him unanimously. In contrast, Hrgovic suffered his first loss when Daniel Dubois knocked him out on the Riyadh Season’s 5 vs. 5: Queensbury vs. Matchroom card.
Joyce vs. Hrgovic: height, weight, reach comparison, and more
With a slight difference in reach, both Jose Joyce and Filip Hrgovic share similar heights. Both are 6 feet and six inches, or 198 centimeters, tall. However, against the British heavyweight’s 80-and-a-half inch or 204-centimeter, Hrgovic boasts an 82-inch or 208-centimeter reach.
During the final weigh-ins of the Chisora fight, Joe Joyce registered a weight of 281.2 pounds. Filip Hrgovic, on the other hand, made the weight at 247.4 pounds when he faced Dubois.
Match Prediction
Perhaps given his relative youth and form, Filip Hrgovic has emerged as the heavy favorite to win the April 5 bout. Per current stats, he has around a 73% chance of winning the match. Long considered the heavyweight division’s dark horse, the myth around Joe Joyce, who once knocked out Joseph Parker, has suffered a dent.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – MAY 31: Filip Hrgovic of Team Matchroom poses for a photo during the 5v5: Queensberry v Matchroom Weigh-Ins event ahead of his Heavyweight fight against Daniel Dubois of Team Queensbury at Boulevard World on May 31, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Needless to say, following the consecutive losses to Zhang, calls for retirement surfaced. Trying to put his career back on track, he managed an early stoppage over Kash Ali last March. But it was back to square one when four months later, Derek Chisora defeated him. In September Joyce will turn 40. At his age, how far he can carry his career remains to be seen.
Speaking about Joe Joyce, Frank Warren told The Ring, “This is a better fight than Whyte, and it’s risky. But it has to be—he is in the last chance saloon now. But if he beats Hrgovic, he is right back in the mix, in a big way.”
For Filip Hrgovic, the knockout loss to a resurgent Daniel Dubois proved a rude awakening. However, given his current standing among the ranked contenders, he still has a chance to get his career back on course.
Do you think after the Chisora fight, Joe Joyce should have just retired instead of continuing?
The post Joe Joyce vs. Filip Hrgovic Comparison and Prediction: Record, Age, Height, Reach, Weight, and Knockout Ratio appeared first on EssentiallySports.
