Filip Hrgovic has vowed to "destroy" Anthony Joshua after the Brit's laclustre win over Jermaine Franklin.
Joshua returned to the ring for the first time since suffering back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk, outpointing American contender Franklin at London's O2 arena. 'AJ' was disappointed not to force a stoppage but is now back in the win column, which he is hoping will thrust him into huge fights with Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.
Despite calling out the 'Gypsy King' after the final bell, Joshua's team have been suggesting that he could continue the rebuild with fights against the likes of stablemates Hrgovic and Dililan Whyte before jumping in with the undefeated champion. However Croatian star Hrgovic, who is the mandatory challenger with the IBF, believes he is the man to derail AJ's new rebuilding plan.
“I destroy him. I think I destroy him. If he comes in this shape, I’ll destroy him.” Hrgovic said when speaking to ID Boxing about a potential showdown with Joshua this year. He later added when asked why he was so confident of securing a win: “My boxing skill, my chin, my speed, my power, everything.”
Hrgovic spoke prior to Joshua's win over Franklin insisting he is willing to put himself in live particularly given the Briton's recent decline in form. “I’m careful not to learn too much and become something that I’m not, take away my advantages,” Hrgovic added. "I think that happened to Anthony Joshua. He was a beast. He was a knockout artist and then he started to learn too much about boxing and he started to box too much, overthinking.”
Joshua was not entirely convincing during his win over Franklin which was his first since linking up with experienced American trainer Derrick James. It is understood his new mentor will be more keen to keep momentum going with a slower rebuild as opposed to throwing him back in the deep end with a mega-money showdown.
Do you think Filip Hrgovic could beat Anthony Joshua? Let us know in the comments section below
A number of options will likely be discussed with Joshua keen to make an immediate return in the summer, which could also include domestic rivals Whyte and Joe Joyce. Promoter Eddie Hearn has named them as preferred names with the Matchroom Boxing kingpin keen to see him make gradual steps too.
“ Dillian Whyte, Otto Wallin, Joe Joyce is another big fight, it’s a tough fight, so who knows," he said on the MMA Hour. “But, if we’re going to go in to a Fury or a Wilder, which is inevitable, I just want him to go in with the best chance that he can have and I feel right now he’s not at the optimum level he could be to go into those fights.
“The general feeling is we need another fight, a step up from Franklin. I want him to box in July and then again in December, and I think it will do him good to have a couple of weeks off now and then go straight back to Texas with Derrick James.”
