Promoter Eddie Hearn says heavyweight Daniel Dubois will need to start fast to get Filip Hrgovic’s respect in the first three or four pounds, he could get knocked in their twelve-round fight this Saturday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
Hearn Predicts a Knockout for Hrgovic
Hearn is predicting that his fighter Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) will knockout Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs), but he thinks there’s a chance Daniel can win if he starts quickly the way Zhilei Zhang did when he dropped Filip.
Zhang arguably beat Hrgovic, but the judges in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, made an unpopular decision to Hearn’s fighter. That fight showed that Hrgovic is vulnerable and not the guy that some had thought.
“Everyone has been talking about Hrgovic for a long time. There’s a difference between in the gym and in the ring. He’s always looked good in the ring,” said Eddie Hearn to Queensberry.
“I think he’s a well-schooled fighter. “This is the best time for Daniel [Dubois] to fight because he’s got the momentum off the Jarrell Miller fight. He definitely ticked some of the boxes of people who questioned his heart, but Hrgovic is a different kind of animal from Jarrell Miller.”
We don’t know yet if Hrgovic is a different fighter than Big Baby Miller because he’s only fought one decent fighter, Zhang, and he arguably lost to him. That was a defeat for Hrgovic in the eyes of many fans, and Hrgovic looked poor in his fight against Demsey McKean. He was hurt against McKean.
“He may not be as heavy, but he’s an outstanding fighter and he has excellent fundamentals. He punches very hard, but I do think he stops Daniel Dubois. Daniel can punch, and he’s a great fighter as well,” said Hearn.
The Importance of a Fast Start
“You never really seen Hrgovic with a young, explosive heavyweight, and if Daniel takes this fight by the horns. If he tries to box Filip Hrgovic and he gets the one-two down the middle, it could go early. If he actually takes the fight to Filip Hrgovic, who knows how he’s going to respond?”
Hrgovic should box because he doesn’t have the chin to slug with Dubois, and he’s not built to go to war with this type of puncher. Dubois is going to start fast in this fight because he knows he can’t afford to start slow. There’s too much on the line.
“Hrgovic starts fast and he’s a very sharp puncher early in the fight as well. You seen him against Demsey McKean and Zhang. Sometimes, he can get a little bit sloppy, and the power goes a little bit. In those first three or four rounds, if Dubois doesn’t get his respect, it could be an early night,” said Hearn.
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