Boxing is an ever-evolving sport, and while there may be a lot of attention on the leading heavyweights in the world such as Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, there are always up and coming fighters that could threaten the dominance that they have achieved.
One of the best new names on the heavyweight scene is Oleksandr Usyk, who captured the headlines with a huge victory over Derek Chisora last weekend. But, this weekend will see the turn of another name that could soon be about to fully arrive on the international scene- Filip Hrgovic.
Boxing News: Why Is Filip Hrgovic So Highly Regarded?
Hrgovic is already seen as the tenth best heavyweight on the Transitional Boxing Rankings, and he will be looking to further his credentials this weekend when he steps in to the ring to take on Rydell Booker. He has already been getting the attention of sports fans in Croatia, who already seen him as their leading chance to gain an international standing in the world of boxing.
Hrgovic excelled at amateur level, as he won 74 of his 89 fights, and his reputation rose further when he won the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics. After winning that bronze, he immediately turned professional, and made his professional debut back in 2017. He fought Raphael Zumbano Love in his first fight, and he delivered a brutal first round knockout win. Another first round knockout win followed in his second professional fight against Pavel Sour.
Boxing News: Hrgovic’s Reputation Rises
Those two wins wouldn’t have been enough to get the attention of the biggest names in the world of boxing, but follow-up wins against Tom Little, Sean Turner and Filiberto Tovar have certainly ensured that he will now be taken more seriously. He has continued to rise to every challenge put in front of him, and wins against Amir Mansour, Kevin Johnson and Mario Heredia put him on a collision course with Eric Molina.
Molina was his biggest challenge to date, and he passed it with flying colours, as he knocked out the American in the third round to retain his WBC International title. He successfully defended the gold once again against Alexandre Kartozia in September, which leads him into the biggest fight of his career this weekend. Booker has never been stopped in 25 professional bouts, which highlights the challenge ahead for the 28-year-old Croatian.
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