Filip Hrgovic beat Rydell Booker via a fifth-round stoppage after an almost perfect performance on the Haney-Gamboa undercard. The undefeated Croatian extended his record to a perfect 12-0 with this stoppage; after dominating the whole fight, he finally got the decision that he wanted. This is a big statement from the 28-year-old who is tipped for big things in the sport.

The fight started off with Hrgovic on the front foot. Right from the first round, the Croatian had his foot on the gas and took the fight to Booker. He threw hard punches and fast combinations and slowly broke down the American.

Eventually, the stoppage came due to excessive blows when Booker was no longer showing any offensive intent. Booker looked to counter whenever he could, but Hrgovic was too fast. As a result of his win, Filip Hrgovic became the IBF International Heavyweight Champion and continued his upward trajectory in the sport.

Before the fight, Hrgovic said he would use this bout to make a statement. The undefeated giant did exactly that and lived up to his pre-fight prediction of a stoppage win. This was the first such defeat for Booker. After the fight, however, the two shared a light moment with Hrgovic telling Booker is ‘too old’.

What next for Filip Hrgovic?

Prior to the fight, Hrgovic said the reason he wanted to make a statement in this fight was to earn a shot at Anthony Joshua. With a flawless performance like that, fans might feel he has earned that fight.

However, the heavyweight division is one of the most exciting right now and there are many other contenders.

This win will put him higher in the IBF rankings and he may get a title shot at ‘AJ’, but with reports that Joshua’s next opponent will be Tyson Fury, fans could see the talented Croatian fight one of the other upcoming stars.

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Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois will meet in a few weeks. There is a possibility of a blockbuster event between the winner of that fight and Filip Hrgovic. Or else, fans can even see him fight one of the experienced names in the division; he even said post-fight that he wants Alexander Povetkin, Dillian Whyte, or Derek Chisora. Either way, there is no doubt that he is on his way to heavyweight stardom.

What did you make of Filip Hrgovic’s display?