Hrgovic is looking for an opponent for an IBF eliminator fight. The winner of this bout would be the mandatory challenger for heavyweight belt holder Oleksandr Usyk. After Luis Oritz’s denial, Joseph Parker was one of the potential opponents for Hrgovic but he declined owing to his elbow injury, says David Higgins, Parker’s manager.
“Joseph has a great profile in the UK and the Asia Pacific and he can become a draw on both sides of the Atlantic, and only a few have done that.”
“For Joseph to grow his career he must look stateside and for big knockouts against American fighters.”
“That gives him a worldwide reputation while he waits for his title shot.”
His manager also added: “if you don’t do that, you may end up like Joshua Anthony who is respected in certain parts of London only.”
“A rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr would be a fantastic thing.”
Higgins added that “Andy wants a rematch in America because he has a cult following in Mexican-Americans.”
Higgins is also confident that “if Parker stuck to a game plan, he would beat Deontay Wilder easily.”
About Parker’s return, Higgins told:
“Parker explained to me that he has elbow trouble.”
“He has had two major elbow surgeries and it is an ongoing problem, they get sore.”
“He wants to go to a specialist before he starts punching or doing weights again.”
“He also had a badly burst eardrum and is a bit battered, so we declined the eliminator based on these points.”
He also wished Hrgovic well and sympathized with his situation.
According to David Higgins, Hrgovic has an economic problem. He also raised the question “Does Hrgovic have a home fanbase anywhere?”
“He has attained a high rank but has no fan base so the money on offer is laughable for someone like Parker”, he further adds.
Higgins claimed that “Parker could fight Hrgovic for a payday that would barely cover his training costs, win, and then sit out for a year waiting for his shot.”
