Eddie Hearn is confident he knows what will happen when Joe Joyce fights Filip Hrgovic this weekend.
Joyce is now towards the end of his career. He turned over to the professional ranks in 2017 off the back of an Olympic silver medal and climbed the ranks well before disaster struck.
The big man from Putney had put together plenty of impressive wins, including a stoppage victory over now world champion Daniel Dubois, before he was stopped by Zhilei Zhang twice in back-to-back fights.
He rebuilt with a win over Kash Ali but again lost, this time to Derek Chisora last time out in July 2024, and now faces a tough challenge in Hrgovic.
The decorated Croatian amateur is was most recently stopped by Dubois in June of last year, but has also beaten the likes of Demsey McKean and Zhang – though that points victory was widely debated.
Speaking to The Stomping Ground ahead of the contest in which Joyce is the clear underdog, promoter Hearn assessed the Brit’s chances, agreeing with many in the sport who believe his punch resistance is no longer what it used to be.
“Joe has always been slow in the ring, he’s never looked like this sensational skilled fighter. In the past he’s been extremely tough, he can whack, he’s a big lump, he’s got a great chin. As his career has progressed the punch resistance has changed.
“Shots from Chisora that hurt him would never have hurt him before, the two Zhang defeats, thousands of rounds of sparring have been a problem.”
He then called it clearly in favour of Hrgovic.
“If you want a prediction he will get well beaten on Saturday and it will be inside three or four rounds, I think.”
The pair come together this weekend after Joyce’s original opponent, Dillian Whyte, had to withdraw.
