Croatian power puncher Filip Hrgovic is a highly talented heavyweight contender who will fight for a world championship one day.
The 29-year-old, nicknamed “El Animal,” is well on course to gain an eliminator of some sort at any moment due to his high ranking with several sanctioning bodies.
Sadly, Hrgovic was massively undermatched against a fighter he had no business beating up on Friday night.
Germany-based Montenegran Marko Radonjic hit the deck five times in all, four times in the second round alone, on his way to a brutal defeat.
Hrgovic, on paper, looked to be fighting a decent opponent. After all, Radonjic was 22-0 with 22 knockouts. If you look a little deeper into his record, though, you will find a shocking list of victories.
Only three of Radonjic’s wins came against fighters with a winning record. Eight against fighters who had won only one or two bouts and five with two or three victories.
The list was bordering on the Christopher Lovejoy method of getting a big-name fight. Nothing about that victory for Hrgovic should be celebrated as he was clearly undermatched.
It certainly cannot be a case of those handling Hrgovic not believing he’s ready. He’s pushing thirty and has a wealth of experience, amateur and professional, behind him.
Hrgovic should really be testing himself against some of the top ten guys by now. So what’s the hold-up?
Filip Hrgović continues his unbeaten run knocking down Marko Radonjic FIVE times ???? pic.twitter.com/N3uWRdkK5r
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 10, 2021
HEAVYWEIGHT HOARDING
Is it another case of a boxer’s ‘0’ being the most important thing to preserve? – Hopefully not, as Hrgovic has the opportunity to beat those around him and make himself the top guy for a title shot.
Many are coming through at the same time and clearly jockeying for positions. But they have to be thinking along the lines of “let’s fight each other” and see who the top contender really is.
Not hoarding an undefeated record in a bid to face nobody until they get the holy grail of Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua. Unfortunately, that’s what happens, and only the fans suffer long-term.
Boxing is already being turned into a circus by YouTubers and legends taking the spotlight. Therefore, Hrgovic, Tony Yoka, Joe Joyce, Efe Ajagba, and the rest should be putting their reputations on the line each time they fight.
“The Glamour Division?” – not anymore, seemingly as harboring a pristine heavyweight record is making a mockery of matchmaking when we see one-sided beatings as we did on Friday night.
The views expressed in this article are opinions of Phil Jay.
