Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic Betting Tips
Joe Joyce returns to the ring on Saturday as a clear underdog as he takes on Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.
Joyce had been set to face British rival Dillian Whyte but he was forced to pull out through injury.
The Juggernaut was last seen last July when he suffered a third defeat in four fights, losing on decision to Derek Chisora. Hrgovic is fighting for the first time since losing his unbeaten record to Daniel Dubois for the interim IBF heavyweight title and there is plenty on the line for both fighters.
After some damaging defeats and at the age of 39, Joyce’s hopes of becoming a world champion are already slim - but defeat to Hrgovic would end any hopes he has of getting back to the top table.
Hrgovic can’t afford another mishap if he is to force his way back into the title conversation, either.
Tip 1 – Over 8.5 rounds 49/50
This is a 10-round contest rather than the customary 12 and the 29/20 about the fight going the distance is one option given how durable both of these heavyweights are, but as both also carry plenty of power the 49/50 on over 8.5 rounds looks the standout play.
Joyce built his reputation as a formidable puncher by winning his first 15 fights and claiming 14 stoppages along the way. However, the man from Putney has now lost three of his last four and has been stopped twice himself, with both of those losses coming at the hands of Zhilei Zhang.
The defeats to Zhang led to the suggestion his once outrageous punch resistance had gone but he survived a couple of Chisora onslaughts in his last bout and even recovered from a knockdown.
Hrgovic has a decent stoppage rate himself with 14 of his 17 wins coming early, and his one loss was a TKO defeat to Dubois.
The Croatian was stopped on doctor’s orders due to cuts above both eyes on that occasion and he probably would have continued had it not been for those injuries.
The fact he stood up to Dubois, one of the biggest hitters in the division, for eight rounds suggests he can cope with Joyce’s power.
There is a good chance this fight will go the distance and backing it to reach at least the ninth round looks a good starting point.
Tip 2 – Filip Hrgovic to win by decision at 23/10
Hrgovic’s defeat to Dubois was a clear setback but the fact Dynamite has gone on to dismantle Anthony Joshua suggests El Animal should still have plenty to offer.
At 32, Hrgovic still has a very real chance of engineering a world title shot and a victory over Joyce would put him back in the conversation, even if he does have to win a few more fights before he is truly back in the mix.
Joyce struggled to cope with Chisora’s intensity and he remains a fairly one-dimensional heavyweight. Zhang also managed to carve out openings at will against him and Hrgovic is a better technician than China’s Big Bang.
Hrgovic has been out of the ring for a while and it is always hard to tell how a fighter will respond to a first defeat, but if the man from Zagreb is on form he has the ability to outpoint the British veteran this weekend.
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Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation