Unbeaten, some say very much avoided, heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic will return to action On December 4th, when he will fight Scott Alexander on the Devin Haney-Jo Jo Diaz card in Las Vegas. 29 year old Hrgovic, 13-0(11) was last seen stopping Marko Radonjic in September. Now, against Alexander, 16-4-2(8), the Croatian star will be in there with a guy who has never been stopped.
Star? 29 year old Hrgovic has all the tools and all the ability to be a star, and a major player in the heavyweight division, yet hardly anybody ever mentions his name; certainly not the big names of the division. Are fighters running scared of Hrgovic, as has been stated by his team? It could be. It is true that you never hear any of the elite heavyweights calling Hrgovic out for a fight.
Against Alexander, a decent enough fighter who has nevertheless lost every time he has stepped up in class (decision losses to Travis Kauffman and Carlos Negron most recently), Hrgovic may get some rounds in. But this is a stay-busy fight and nothing more for Hrgoivic, make no mistake (and no disrespect to Alexander).
The December 4 fight will be Hrgovic’s second bout of the year and he needs a far busier, far bigger 2022, without a doubt. But is Hrgovic very much a fighter who offers great risk and little reward? It’s not fair, and a fighter as skilled, not to mention as dangerous, as Hrgovic should be getting the big fights. Who knows if they will come for him next year or not, but how long can Hrgovic afford to wait around for his big opportunity? Promoter Kalle Sauerland told Sky Sports after Hrgovic’s win over Radonjic that his next fight would be an IBF final eliminator, which would come this year. This has clearly not materialised for the former amateur standout.
Instead, Hrgovic gets Alexander. Look for Hrgovic to become the first man to halt the 32 year old, somewhere in the middle rounds. But then what?