IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic has urged Anthony Joshua to retire from boxing, expressing concern over the former two-time world champion’s recent performances ahead of his proposed showdown with Tyson Fury.
Joshua is scheduled to face fellow Briton Fury in Cardiff on Friday, December 11, but Hrgovic believes the British-Nigerian should walk away from the sport rather than risk further punishment in the ring.
Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, the Croatian said Joshua was nearing the end of his career and appeared motivated by the financial rewards of the proposed fight.
“He is done; he shouldn’t be fighting anymore, but he wants to do one more fight. I think that he is going to make a huge amount of money and he is doing it because of that, but I think that he shouldn’t be fighting anymore,” Hrgovic said.
Joshua suffered a knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois when he challenged for the IBF heavyweight title in 2024. He returned to the ring last December and stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
However, his subsequent outing in July raised further questions about his form after Albanian fighter Kristian Prenga knocked him down twice before Joshua secured a second-round knockout victory.
Joshua has since reunited with former trainer Ben Davison, who previously worked in Fury’s corner.
Hrgovic said he was shocked by Joshua’s performance against Prenga, particularly because the Briton had reportedly made significant changes to his preparations.
He said: “When I saw that last fight, I felt sorry for him because before the fight he said that he shut all of his businesses to focus on boxing. He changed his coach for the 20th time. He started to work with team Usyk; he did everything that he could do, and then he comes to the fight with a journeyman, and he goes down in 10 seconds!
“I couldn’t believe it. I felt sorry for him, and I think he shouldn’t be fighting anymore. Based on how he looked in his last fight, it was a disaster. He is just not there, man.”
The Croatian also highlighted the dangers of boxing, arguing that fighters must recognise when it is time to walk away.
“It is not basketball, it is not soccer. In boxing you come to a point where you can’t fight anymore. It is a dangerous sport, it is a war, and I think that when you come to a point where you can’t fight, you can’t mess around with boxing,” Hrgovic said.
Hrgovic is expected to make the first defence of his IBF heavyweight title against Frank Sanchez in Croatia in early 2027.
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