Filip Hrgovic could be in position to catch Oleksandr Usyk on the decline, at least according to Hrgovic’s own promoter.

Last Saturday night, Usyk, the unified WBO, WBA, IBF, IBO heavyweight champion, stopped mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois of London in nine rounds in Wroclaw, Poland. Usyk had to overcome a hairy and controversial moment in the fifth round, when he went down from a right hand to the body that seemed to stray low. Referee Luis Pabon deemed it a low blow and gave the Ukrainian time to recover—much to the chagrin of Dubois partisans. (Dubois promoter Frank Warren has promised to appeal the outcome of the fight.)

The southpaw Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) could now be headed for another mandatory fight, this time with Croatia’s Hrgovic. BoxingScene.com's Jake Donovan recently reported that the IBF is preparing to order that match-up soon.

Kalle Sauerland, the co-promoter of Hrgovic, believes Usyk, 36, could be ripe for the picking, based on his performance against Dubois.

The once highly regarded Hrgovic (16-0, 13 KOs) has seen his shine rub off in recent years, due to inactivity and a somewhat controversial win over Zhilei Zhang in 2022. Hrgovic, 31, returned to the ring for the first time in a year earlier this month, stopping Demsey McKean in 12 rounds.

“We saw last night and Usyk—and I promoted him on numerous occasions, I know him in and out—he showed, to me, signs of slowing,” Sauerland told Boxing Social. “I think that Hrgovic, you know, he’s had long layoffs, because of this whole situation, so I think the 12 rounds with McKean was gold, every single round of it because that’s what he needs. If you look back, Hrgovic has been around for a long, long time. Not just on the pro scene, but the WSB (World Series of Boxing) scene, so he’s been on the circuit for a long, long time. So he’s used to activity. The last couple of years have been a nightmare for him.

“I think the McKean fight was exactly what he needed to go into this fight. Anyone who’s around boxing knows about Hrgovic since years. It’s not like some big secret or something. We all know what he can do, and now is his time.”

“It’s a fantastic fight and it’s one that we definitely got more than a chance,” Sauerland said of Usyk-Hrgovic. “We’re going to be very confident.”