FILIP HRGOVIC is expected to face Daniel Dubois for the vacant IBF heavyweight title on June 1 – with a Wembley superfight with Anthony Joshua also awaiting the winner.
Hrgovic is part of the Team Match Room for the 5 vs 5 event with Queensberry, with Frank Warren Dubois heavily hoping to be the man chosen to face the Croats.
The bout will take place two weeks after Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk collide to decide the undisputed heavyweight champion in Riyadh on May 18. However, the IBF is expected to strip the title The winner's signal was almost immediate.
It has been suggested that Joshua will fight for the vacant title but Hrgovic understands that the real belt will be within reach when he faces Dubois.
“The plan is for the vacant IBF title to be fought against Dubois,” Hrgovic said.
“I should have fought Dubois for the vacant IBF belt. The winner will then fight Joshua but you never know in boxing. I think if Fury wins, he will do everything to fight Joshua next, he won't want to fight Usyk anymore.”
The shows on May 18 and then June 1 are the latest major events in Saudi Arabia's boxing revolution but Turki Al-Alshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in the Kingdom, country, recently revealed that they are planning to hold a show at Wembley in September as a 'promotion' for Riyadh Season.
And Hrgovic believes he or Dubois in his fight with Joshua could come out on top under the dome at the national stadium.
“If Usyk beats Fury then they will have a rematch so the winner is me and Dubois will fight Joshua,” he added. “That's my opinion.
“Joshua is a dream fight and I hope I beat Dubois and then fight him at Wembley in September. That would be perfect.”
Meanwhile, Dubois is not concerned about whether he will win the belt against Hrgovic or not but is certain that victory will set up a huge domestic clash with Joshua.
“Whether our fight is for the world title or not, he still holds that position with the IBF and I want to take it,” he said. So this is an important fight.
“The winner is me and Hrgovic fighting AJ next means business, it's business. Me and AJ will be two London guys fighting for the world title, which is crazy.
“But that's something my team has to deal with, I'm just training in the gym. But it would be a big moment for me, a world title in London, huge.”
