Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic Predictions: This could be the last time for ‘Juggernaut’

Olympic silver medalist Joe Joyce gets an incredibly tough test this Saturday, April 5 when he takes on Filip Hrgovic. The bout headlines ‘Heavy Duty’ from the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. The fight will be shown live on DAZN as part of Queensberry’s freshly-inked deal with the mega-streamer. 

Here are my Joyce vs Hrgovic predictions ahead of this blockbuster heavyweight headliner.

Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic Odds

Joyce is an 11/4 underdog to walk out of Manchester with the victory. Hrgovic is 1/4 to win while the draw is priced at 20/1.

Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic Fight Preview

Joyce was originally set to face British heavyweight firebrand Dillian Whyte before ‘The Body Snatcher’ pulled out with a hand injury. While that fight would have lit up the box office, I make this clash with Hrgovic a more difficult proposition for Joyce.

This is a fight with many parallels between the two competitors. Both medalled at the 2016 Olympics, with Joyce taking silver and Hrgovic netting a bronze. These fighters are also coming off losses when, in the not-too distant past, they were touted as future world champions. This fight can be viewed as part of the road back for both. 

Where they differ is that Hrgovic can argue that his knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois, now the IBF heavyweight champion, was a blip. After all, it was his first career loss after 17 professional wins. In the heavyweight division, one punch can change everything. Many is the heavyweight that has moved past such a defeat.

But moving past stoppage losses has not been something Joyce has done with much success. Like Hrgovic, he put together a fine undefeated streak to begin his pro journey. But after 15 wins scored him a WBO interim championship and put him on the brink of a title shot, Zhilei Zhang undid his progress.

The full trauma of those back-to-back losses to ‘Big Bang’ is still being felt by Joyce. Their first fight ended with Joyce sporting a gruesome eye injury. The second ended with him down for the count inside just three rounds. A career thoroughly unravelled by one of the division’s true danger men.

A 10th-round knockout of the ordinary Kash Ali last March did little to restore faith. A July date with veteran Derek Chisora was supposed to restore faith. You probably know how that went.

Chisora came in at 34-13, aged 40 and with more miles on the clock than most heavyweights you could name. It is hard to recall a recent fighter in the division who has competed in more wars. But rather than sap Chisora for the Joyce fight, it steeled him. ‘Del Boy’ ended the night with a deserved unanimous victory. Joyce ended it with nowhere to go.

Or so it seemed. A fight with Whyte seemed logical. Another faded heavyweight once-tipped to win it all, if anyone could offer Joyce a path back it was Dillian. But with ‘The Body Snatcher’ out of the picture, in comes Hrgovic. 

They share a common opponent in Zhang. Like Joyce, the Chinese star gave Hrgovic his toughest night. But while Joyce was unceremoniously disposed of on two occasions, the Croatian boxer took ‘Big Bang’ the distance. He actually won the decision, too, though many dispute it. I am among them, having scored for Zhang on the night, but let the record show that Hrgovic holds a win over Qianzhangying’s finest.

Two heavyweight tales of redemption, then. Each has had to compartmentalise the disappointment of being tipped for the throne before being thrown from the mountain. The climb starts now. 

Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic Full Card

Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic

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Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic Prediction

I think this could be the last stand for Joe Joyce in a major fight. The infallible, punch-absorbing, chin-checking machine of old seems to be gone. Zhang ended the top-level career of the ‘Juggernaut’ and Chisora made sure it stayed that way.

Hrgovic is coming off a loss too, but considering Dubois is the form heavyweight of the moment, it is at least understandable. When your conqueror is stopping Anthony Joshua one fight later, you probably didn’t do too much wrong. 

Hrgovic is not a destroyer in the Zhang mould, though he can punch. But I think Joyce will do enough to get it to the bell. I’m picking Hrgovic on points at 13/5.

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