JOE JOYCE faces a career-defining night on Saturday, with Filip Hrgovic entering as the clear 2/9 favourite to win their heavyweight main event at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.
However, punters can cash in at a tempting 9/2 on the Croat winning by knockout, an outcome featured in the latest Bet Boost from Boxing News and Bet365, offering enhanced value on Hrgovic stopping Joyce inside the distance.
Hrgovic is no stranger to stopping foes early, with 14 of his 17 wins ending inside the distance for an 82 per cent KO ratio. The 6ft 6ins Croatian has dispatched notable heavyweights like Rydell Booker (TKO in 2020) and Demsey McKean (TKO in 2023), showcasing the power that could trouble Joyce. His most recent stoppage came against McKean, a 12th-round finish that reinforced his reputation as a finisher.
Last time out, Hrgovic fell to British knockout artist Daniel Dubois – now the IBF world heavyweight champion – via an eighth-round TKO due to severe cuts. Joe Joyce, meanwhile, enters his 20th pro fight in shaky form, having lost three of his last four bouts. Most notably, ‘The Juggernaut’ was stopped twice by Zhilei Zhang in 2023, with the second defeat a devastating third-round knockout by the Chinese southpaw.
Since then, Joyce has won one and lost one, beating Kash Ali before dropping a points decision to Derek Chisora last July, where the 2016 Olympic super-heavyweight silver medallist was floored in the ninth. Now 39 and showing signs of wear and tear, Joyce appears a shadow of the fighter who demolished Joseph Parker in September 2022.
Hrgovic, at 32, is the fresher fighter, carrying less scar tissue than Joyce and boasting his own Olympic bronze from 2016, where Joyce took silver. ‘El Animal’ knows victory on Saturday is non-negotiable. With a maiden world title shot still in sight, Hrgovic will aim to impress in the fast-moving heavyweight landscape and keep his career on track.
Joyce backers can get 10/3 on him winning outright and 6/1 by KO, TKO or DQ.
