Dubois stops Hrgovic to set up Joshua fight

Nick Parkinson on June 2nd, 2024 at 1:26 AM.

On Saturday, Daniel Dubois defeated Filip Hrgovic in Round 8 due to cuts. This has led to a significant match against previous world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, which will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on September 21st.

Dubois, a 26-year-old boxer from south London, had the upper hand during the fight before it was stopped. This happened after 57 seconds into the eighth round when the doctor at the ringside told the referee to put an end to the match. The reason was that Hrgovic had cuts above both of his eyes, which were too severe. These cuts were caused by a nasty gash near his right eye in the second round, and then another cut over his left eye in the following rounds.

Hrgovic, a 31-year-old boxer from Zagreb, Croatia, with a record of 17-1 and 14 knockouts, was eager for a chance to compete for the IBF championship for two years. However, Dubois has now been selected to fight Joshua, his English opponent, in September, with the possibility of winning the vacant IBF world heavyweight title.

Joshua, a world champion twice over with a record of 28 wins and 3 knockouts, at the age of 34 witnessed Dubois' most significant triumph from close quarters in Saudi Arabia. Dubois claimed the IBF interim title with his victory.

"At first, I felt chilly but I took note of the guidance from the other side of the room," Dubois stated.

As soon as I sensed a few jabs, I regained consciousness and sprang into action. By the seventh round, I had gained momentum and things were finally falling into place. It brings me immense joy to reflect on my progress. Just a year ago, I was at my lowest point, but now I have emerged triumphant.

"I caught wind that Anthony Joshua is up next."

The Dubois and Joshua bout is set to be the most prominent UK fight this year, as many other major fights are nowadays held in Saudi Arabia. This is a great opportunity for Dubois, as he has managed to regroup after suffering knockouts against both Oleksandr Usyk and Joe Joyce. This fight will be his most significant one yet.

The Hrgovic and Dubois fight was the fourth match out of five in the event where two promoters competed against each other at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. By the time the last fight of the night between Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang came around, it was already guaranteed that Queensberry, represented by Frank Warren, would win as they had an 8-0 lead over Matchroom, represented by Eddie Hearn.

In an exhilarating first round, Hrgovic persistently connected with right punches while both fighters threw forceful punches.

Dubois, who was defeated by Oleksandr Usyk, the undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion, in August of last year, failed to adapt during the second round and kept getting hit with right-handed punches.

Hrgovic, after completing the second round, had a wound above his right eye due to a punch he received. However, he managed to strike several punches in the fourth round, showcasing his mastery in the sport. Dubois refused to retreat, continuously advancing towards Hrgovic. By the middle of the match, Hrgovic appeared drained and was spotted bleeding from his wound.

Hrgovic's face was covered with blood that was flowing from the cuts above his eyes, and he seemed to lack the same level of energy that he had earlier in the bout.

Dubois threw powerful right punches in the seventh round, and his high tempo was close to overpowering Hrgovic. However, in Round 8, the fight was halted.

Sheeraz secured a world title shot in a stylish manner.

Hamzah Sheeraz earned himself an opportunity to fight for a world title in a magnificent manner by achieving an 11th-round victory through a stoppage against Austin Williams.

Sheeraz, a boxer from Ilford, Essex, England, has an impressive 20-0 record with 16 knockouts. In his latest fight, at the age of 24, he knockeddown his opponent Williams with a powerful right hook in the 10th round. He continued to land a series of quick and forceful punches, which led to the fight being stopped in the 11th round. This marks the 14th consecutive win where Sheeraz has achieved a knockout against his opponents.

Carlos Adames, the WBC champion with a record of 23 wins, 1 loss and 18 knockouts, is scheduled to defend his title against Terrell Gausha on June 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. As for the winner of that fight, Hamzah Sheeraz is patiently anticipating his opportunity to take them on next.

After an outstanding performance, Sheeraz declared that if he isn't prepared for a world title fight at the moment, he will never be.

I was aware of the tempo that I established for this battle. Normally, I am not the type of person who establishes a rapid tempo, but I had no choice but to do so for this particular one.

A professional boxer called "Ammo" Williams who has won 16 fights and knocked out his opponent 11 times, is 28 years old and from Houston. He began his recent match really well, but Sheeraz soon became comfortable and started connecting with strong punches. As the 6th round began, Williams was repeatedly hit by tough jabs and his right eye had begun swelling until he couldn't see out of it properly anymore.

In the eighth round, Sheeraz delivered multiple jabs and two quick uppercuts. In the following round, he aimed a right punch towards Williams' jaw, which helped him gain dominance in the fight.

In the 10th round's culmination, Williams got knocked down with a wide right hook, but the bell rang and saved him. As the 11th round started, Sheeraz began furiously attacking Williams with his punches. After delivering multiple successful blows, the referee, Mark Lyson, acted prudently and halted the fight after only 45 seconds of the round.