News Images

Joyce And Hrgovic Exchange Verbals During Presser

Originally posted on BoxingNews.com | Last updated Apr 3, 2025 11:50 AM ET

Joe Joyce and Filip Hrgovic held their final presser before their heavyweight fight on Saturday.

The fight is seen as a career-defining bout for both men. Joyce has lost three of his last four fights, coming up short in two losses to Zhilei Zhang and then Derek Chisora. That dented his heavyweight title hopes, as he was the WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion before the Zhang fight. Joyce is 39 years old, knowing a loss will increase the calls on him to retire.

Hyrgovic suffered his first major setback when he lost to Daniel Dubois in his last bout. The loss meant he missed out on the IBF Interim Heavyweight Title. Dubois would later get elevated to a full champion once Uysk vacated, as Hrgovic eventually missed out on a lucrative Anthony Joshua bout. The winner of Joyce-Hrgovic will take a step closer to securing more bigger fights. Here were the key moments from the presser.

Pre-Fight

“His [Joyce’s] main defense is to keep getting hit until you get tired and then he tries to knock you out. That’s his main defense. But it doesn’t work, bro. That’s why when you get asked a question, there’s like a 15-second silence before you answer. Clearly it’s not working. That’s why you blank out and go, ‘Errrrr… yeah.’ It’s not working. It’s all good now, but 10 years from now… Jesus Christ. You’re going to go to your house, the sat-nav will say you’re home, but you’ll be like, ‘I don’t live here,” Dillian Whyte said

“Joe has always been slow in the ring, he’s never looked like this sensational skilled fighter. In the past he’s been extremely tough, he can whack, he’s a big lump, he’s got a great chin. “As his career has progressed the punch resistance has changed. Shots from Chisora that hurt him would never have hurt him before, the two Zhang defeats, thousands of rounds of sparring have been a problem,” Eddie Hearn said