Six years following the Olympic Games in Rio, will Tony Yoka find the Croatian Filip Hrgovic on his way? The last time the two met was in the semi-finals of the Games. The French won narrowly, on points (two judges once morest one). Just before the gold medal of his then companion Estelle Mossely, the Parisian had injured his ankle during his fight. A professional past too since Rio, Filip Hrgovic, 29, whose early career resembles that of Yoka (14 fights including 12 before the limit for no defeat), has never admitted this Olympic setback.
“Tony Yoka, the ball is in your court”
He got it all the worse because, a few years earlier, Hrgovic had beaten Yoka in the final of the World Junior Championships. Forgetting also that the French had beaten him in 2015 in the quarter-finals of the World Amateur Championship. A World Cup that the Yoka had won.
Hrgovic has been ruminating all this time and wants his revenge. In a message published this Tuesday evening on his social networks, Hrgovic provokes the French Olympic champion: “A letter from the IBF will arrive at your place. Sign the contract, let’s do this fight, he almost orders Yoka. I’ve been waiting for this fight for a long time. A lot of people think I should have won the Olympic semi-final in 2016 and now it’s time for revenge. Tony Yoka, the ball is in your court. “
This message from the Croatian is the result of a game of checkers as sometimes only boxing can offer. Be careful, you have to follow to understand. The International Boxing Federation (IBF), one of the three federations that govern world professional boxing with the WBA and the WBC, must appoint an official challenger to its current number 1, the Ukrainian Alexandre Usyk, the recent loser of the ‘English Anthony Joshua.
World number 3 in this federation, Filip Hrgovic took up the challenge but the first on the list, New Zealander Joseph Parker and Cuban Luis Ortiz, both injured, refused. The next in the rankings, IBF world number 6, is called Tony Yoka. If he wants to climb in the hierarchy, Hrgovic sees his interest.
Is the Frenchman also in his interest?
Is this fight also that of Tony Yoka? It is less certain. In the ranking of the reference site BoxRec which compiles the three federations, the Croatian is ranked 37th in the world. Yoka (11 fights, 11 wins) is number 20. He is also bound by contract with the Congolese Martin Bakole (number 19) whom he should have faced on Saturday January 15 at the Accor Arena in Paris. But the government gauges imposing 2000 spectators at most did not allow the good performance of the evening. Yoka and Bakole must face off as soon as possible, probably still at Bercy. It’s written, but a contract in boxing can be torn apart faster than an uppercut can leave.
A fight and especially a victory once morest Hrgovic would be a possible gateway into the big world for Yoka who wants to settle in the planetary Top 10 as quickly as possible. That’s his goal in 2022. If he beats the Croatian, maybe his next challenge will be Alexandre Uzyk. In the meantime, the Olympic champion’s program is getting longer.
Besides Hrgovic and Bakole, Joe Joyce, his unfortunate opponent in the final of the Rio Olympics once more, also wants his revenge. And even Anthony Joshua is ready to face him: “I am ready to fight Yoka anytime,” the Englishman told RMC in December 2021. The battle among the professionals is between serious people who not only want to achieve the top but stay there, ”added the former world champion.
For the moment, the Yoka clan has not reacted to the Croatian provocation. He has, according to our information, until Monday, January 17 to respond. If he accepts the challenge, but nothing is less certain, their two promoters will have to agree before the end of January on a date and a place.