Derek Chisora is backing Rico Verhoeven to beat IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic in a proposed fight, dismissing Hrgovic’s victory over Moses Itauma as the young challenger simply getting tired.
That prediction overlooks how much Verhoeven would be giving away in boxing experience, power and overall ability. His size helped him compete against Oleksandr Usyk, but the 6’6″ Hrgovic would reduce that advantage while presenting a heavier punching threat.
The matchup has been discussed for the December 11 Tyson Fury–Anthony Joshua undercard in Cardiff, although no deal has been announced. Hrgovic’s IBF mandatory challenger, Frank Sanchez, remains an obstacle after already stepping aside for the Itauma fight.
“Hrgovic would lose that fight,” Chisora told Seconds Out. “Moses Itauma didn’t get beat, Moses Itauma beat himself.
“It’s not like Moses Itauma left that ring with a beatdown, he just got tired. Hrgovic was far off in rounds, he couldn’t even landed the punches, he [Moses] just got tired.
“Itauma didn’t come out of that ring and say, ‘oh my goodness, I got my a** whooped’.”
That dismissive excuse ignores how championship boxing actually works. Fatigue does not occur by accident. Blocking concussive punches, wrestling out of clinches, and constantly retreating from a relentless 245-pound puncher burns through stamina rapidly. Itauma learned the hard way that early success evaporates if you cannot sustain the pace.
Verhoeven suffered that exact fate against Usyk, wilting the second the Ukrainian dialed up the pressure in the eleventh round. Hrgovic makes that endurance deficit even more dangerous. Rico cannot rely on superior size against a fighter who matches his height and hits considerably harder. Verhoeven built a legendary kickboxing resume, but five-round bouts provide zero preparation for surviving twelve rounds against a seasoned Olympic medalist with proven late-round stopping power.
Hrgovic showed real vulnerability when Daniel Dubois stopped him, proving his chin is not invincible. The Croatian possesses vastly superior seasoning when it comes to operating inside a grueling boxing firefight. Verhoeven came apart as Usyk piled on clean punches in the championship rounds, revealing that kickboxing dominance does not translate to twelve-round punch resistance.
Chisora gladly points out Hrgovic’s defensive holes, yet he stays silent on how Rico survives his own glaring deficits. Between ring generalship, inside fighting, and raw professional boxing experience, Hrgovic holds every meaningful card. Verhoeven earned respect simply by going deep against Usyk, but dethroning an experienced heavyweight champion demands a reservoir of endurance the kickboxer has never possessed.