01-10-2022, 04:00 PM
They are not fighters': Filip Hrgovic blasts Joseph Parker for declining world title eliminator
Stuff sports reporters
Unbeaten heavyweight contender Flip Hrgovic has sounded off at his rivals for refusing to get into the ring with him.
Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic has blasted Joseph Parker for declining an invitation to fight him in a high-stakes world title eliminator, saying he is “really pissed off” with the Kiwi and his team.
Unbeaten Hrgovic (14-0, 12 KOs) is the No 1-ranked contender for the IBF belt currently held by Oleksandr Usyk, who dethroned Anthony Joshua in a stunning upset last September.
The 29-year-old Croat has been searching for an opponent to fight to decide who will become the mandatory challenger to Usyk’s title.
But his search has so far proved fruitless, with both Cuban Luis Ortiz (33-2, 28 KOs) and former WBO champion Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) turning down overtures from Hrgovic’s camp as they moved down the IBF rankings looking for the next available contender.
Ortiz, 42, turned down the bout after claiming he suffered a hand injury during his hard-fought sixth-round TKO victory over Charles Martin in Hollywood, Florida, earlier this month.
And then Parker – ranked third by the IBF – also sidestepped ‘El Animal’ to focus on recovering on an elbow injury and a burst eardrum he suffered in his impressive points win over Derek Chisora in December.
Kiwi duo Joseph Parker and David Nyika are put through their paces by trainer Andy Lee at Tyson Fury's Morecambe gym.
It has left Hrgovic seething and questioning the fighting spirit of both Ortiz and Parker.
Speaking to YouTube channel Boxing Social, Hrgovic said he couldn’t understand why neither Ortiz or Parker would even enter negotiations on a final eliminator.
“Man, they are not fighters. I don't understand that,” Hrgovic said.
“They all said they want to fight me and then in the end, they didn't even want to start negotiations. I'm really pissed off, I don't know what to say. It's frustrating.”
Hrgovic – a 2016 Rio Olympic Games bronze medallist – is viewed by many as a high risk, low reward fight since he is not a household name and therefore won’t generate a big payday.
Parker’s manager David Higgins admitted as much, telling Sky Sports in the UK that there was “an economic problem” with the fight and the money on offer was “laughable for somebody like Parker”, who had fought on pay-per-view cards as the main event.
But Hrgovic countered that argument, pointing out that beating him would set Parker up for a multi-million-dollar world title shot.
“This is boxing, fighters should accept the challenge. That's [the] boxing spirit. I understand that maybe for some fighters they said that it's not huge money [to fight me], but if you beat me you become IBF mandatory challenger, so you will fight in one year for world title and you will make millions,” Hrgovic told Boxing Social.
Joseph Parker rejected the chance to face Croatian Filip Hrgovic in an IBF world title eliminator as he recovers from injury.
“And even in that period where you are waiting for a world title fight, you can also fight. I hope we will find a solution, we will find a good name and give fans a good fight.”
Hrgovic saved some of his sharpest criticism for Matchroom supremo Eddie Hearn – who co-promotes him alongside German outfit Wasserman Boxing – for not securing him the big fight he craves.
“Eddie Hearn was in Vegas [for Hrgovic’s last fight], he promised me that he will make a big fight for me, but still nothing is happening. I was expecting some big name and it still didn't happen. So I hope he will fulfil his promise,” he said.
“Joseph Parker is his fighter also, I thought it was going to be easy to make that fight because we are both with him [Hearn]. But it didn't happen. I'm really disappointed.”
Cuban southpaw Luis Ortiz has already challenged for a world title twice, losing on both occasions to Deontay Wilder.
Parker’s recent victory over Chisora was actually a one-off deal with Hearn’s Matchroom, who previously had the New Zealander on a lucrative three-fight deal. The 29-year-old is now a free agent and in crucial talks over his future, with Matchroom one of several suitors.
Nevertheless, Hrgovic insisted a fight against Parker or Ortiz would be beneficial to both parties, proving whether they are ready to compete for a world title.
“I think these fights with Ortiz or Parker would answer a lot of questions about me and about them,” he said.
“A lot of people think I'm a future world champion, and if I beat them it will answer the question, am I going to be champion or not? Do I have the potential to beat these guys?
“Joseph Parker struggled to fight with Derek Chisora, I think he didn't have good performances. I also beat him in the amateurs in a world championship, so I was really, really excited and I thought we were going to make that fight.
"That fight would answer a lot of questions."
Hrgovic said he did not believe either Ortiz or Parker’s injury claims, saying that if they had wanted the fight they should have opened talks and the date could have moved until they had recovered.
“I'm disappointed as both of them didn't want to start negotiations. Maybe we could have pushed the date to May or June if he [Ortiz] had an injury,” Hrgovic said.
Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) is set to defend his IBF, WBO and WBA titles in a rematch against Britain’s Joshua (24-2, 22 KOS), which is reportedly set to take place in April.
Stuff sports reporters
Unbeaten heavyweight contender Flip Hrgovic has sounded off at his rivals for refusing to get into the ring with him.
Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic has blasted Joseph Parker for declining an invitation to fight him in a high-stakes world title eliminator, saying he is “really pissed off” with the Kiwi and his team.
Unbeaten Hrgovic (14-0, 12 KOs) is the No 1-ranked contender for the IBF belt currently held by Oleksandr Usyk, who dethroned Anthony Joshua in a stunning upset last September.
The 29-year-old Croat has been searching for an opponent to fight to decide who will become the mandatory challenger to Usyk’s title.
But his search has so far proved fruitless, with both Cuban Luis Ortiz (33-2, 28 KOs) and former WBO champion Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) turning down overtures from Hrgovic’s camp as they moved down the IBF rankings looking for the next available contender.
Ortiz, 42, turned down the bout after claiming he suffered a hand injury during his hard-fought sixth-round TKO victory over Charles Martin in Hollywood, Florida, earlier this month.
And then Parker – ranked third by the IBF – also sidestepped ‘El Animal’ to focus on recovering on an elbow injury and a burst eardrum he suffered in his impressive points win over Derek Chisora in December.
Kiwi duo Joseph Parker and David Nyika are put through their paces by trainer Andy Lee at Tyson Fury's Morecambe gym.
It has left Hrgovic seething and questioning the fighting spirit of both Ortiz and Parker.
Speaking to YouTube channel Boxing Social, Hrgovic said he couldn’t understand why neither Ortiz or Parker would even enter negotiations on a final eliminator.
“Man, they are not fighters. I don't understand that,” Hrgovic said.
“They all said they want to fight me and then in the end, they didn't even want to start negotiations. I'm really pissed off, I don't know what to say. It's frustrating.”
Hrgovic – a 2016 Rio Olympic Games bronze medallist – is viewed by many as a high risk, low reward fight since he is not a household name and therefore won’t generate a big payday.
Parker’s manager David Higgins admitted as much, telling Sky Sports in the UK that there was “an economic problem” with the fight and the money on offer was “laughable for somebody like Parker”, who had fought on pay-per-view cards as the main event.
But Hrgovic countered that argument, pointing out that beating him would set Parker up for a multi-million-dollar world title shot.
“This is boxing, fighters should accept the challenge. That's [the] boxing spirit. I understand that maybe for some fighters they said that it's not huge money [to fight me], but if you beat me you become IBF mandatory challenger, so you will fight in one year for world title and you will make millions,” Hrgovic told Boxing Social.
Joseph Parker rejected the chance to face Croatian Filip Hrgovic in an IBF world title eliminator as he recovers from injury.
“And even in that period where you are waiting for a world title fight, you can also fight. I hope we will find a solution, we will find a good name and give fans a good fight.”
Hrgovic saved some of his sharpest criticism for Matchroom supremo Eddie Hearn – who co-promotes him alongside German outfit Wasserman Boxing – for not securing him the big fight he craves.
“Eddie Hearn was in Vegas [for Hrgovic’s last fight], he promised me that he will make a big fight for me, but still nothing is happening. I was expecting some big name and it still didn't happen. So I hope he will fulfil his promise,” he said.
“Joseph Parker is his fighter also, I thought it was going to be easy to make that fight because we are both with him [Hearn]. But it didn't happen. I'm really disappointed.”
Cuban southpaw Luis Ortiz has already challenged for a world title twice, losing on both occasions to Deontay Wilder.
Parker’s recent victory over Chisora was actually a one-off deal with Hearn’s Matchroom, who previously had the New Zealander on a lucrative three-fight deal. The 29-year-old is now a free agent and in crucial talks over his future, with Matchroom one of several suitors.
Nevertheless, Hrgovic insisted a fight against Parker or Ortiz would be beneficial to both parties, proving whether they are ready to compete for a world title.
“I think these fights with Ortiz or Parker would answer a lot of questions about me and about them,” he said.
“A lot of people think I'm a future world champion, and if I beat them it will answer the question, am I going to be champion or not? Do I have the potential to beat these guys?
“Joseph Parker struggled to fight with Derek Chisora, I think he didn't have good performances. I also beat him in the amateurs in a world championship, so I was really, really excited and I thought we were going to make that fight.
"That fight would answer a lot of questions."
Hrgovic said he did not believe either Ortiz or Parker’s injury claims, saying that if they had wanted the fight they should have opened talks and the date could have moved until they had recovered.
“I'm disappointed as both of them didn't want to start negotiations. Maybe we could have pushed the date to May or June if he [Ortiz] had an injury,” Hrgovic said.
Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) is set to defend his IBF, WBO and WBA titles in a rematch against Britain’s Joshua (24-2, 22 KOS), which is reportedly set to take place in April.