Filip Hrgovic favored to beat Joe Joyce in heavyweight showdown

After suffering defeats in their respective previous fights, heavyweights Joe Joyce and Filip Hrgovic will attempt to revive their careers when they meet in Manchester at the beginning of April. Here we look ahead to the fight and name our boxing betting picks in our Joyce vs. Hrgovic preview.

• Who: Joe Joyce vs. Filip Hrgovic
• Where: Co-Op Live Arena, Manchester, England
• When: Saturday, April 5th, 2025
• Ring Walks: 5.20 pm ET

The Big Picture

Don’t be fooled into thinking this isn’t a big fight. Not too long ago this fight would have been a title eliminator for a fight with Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk. But after recent setbacks for both boxers, it’s now a fight on their respective roads to recovery.

The fight was originally supposed to be a British tear-up between Joe Joyce and Dillian Whyte. Unfortunately for British fight fans, the Body Snatcher had to pull out after sustaining a hand injury.

😳 BREAKING NEWS 😳

Dillian Whyte is OUT of his planned April 5 return against Joe Joyce in Manchester due to a damaged finger!

'The Juggernaut' hopes to remain in the card... will @Queensberry roll the dice with Moses Itauma for their @DAZNBoxing debut?#WhyteJoyce #boxing pic.twitter.com/VLW3nVub1l

— Fight Disciples (@FightDisciples) March 4, 2025

Into Whyte’s place steps Filip Hrgovic. The Croatian was only too happy to take the fight, which will be his first since he lost against Daniel Dubios for the then-vacant IBF Heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia last June.

The loss to Dubois was a setback for Hrgovic. The 32-year-old was unbeaten at the time and was the favorite to pick up the belt that Usyk was forced to relinquish.

But unfortunately for the Croatian, Daniel Dubios was too good on the night and took the belt home thanks to an eighth-round TKO win.

The situation is far more critical for Joe Joyce. The Juggernaut was on course for a shot at a world title after his win over Joseph Parker in 2022.

But three defeats in his next four fights have left his title chances in tatters. Another defeat against Hrgovic would surely signal the end of the road for Joyce.

Joe Joyce vs. Filip Hrgovic Betting Odds

The manner of Joe Joyce’s recent three defeats has led to a loss of confidence in both the fighter and the watching public.

Joyce was caught cold by Zhilei Zhang in his first career loss in April 2023. The rematch was arguably worse, with a nervous-looking Joyce failing to get near his opponent. The fight ended with Zhang brutally knocking Joyce out in the third round.

The Brit has since failed to convince that he has recovered from those defeats, and as a result, the bookmakers think he will lose again against Hrgovic.

The latest boxing betting odds make Filip Hrgovic their -350 betting favorite on the money line. Joe Joyce is +275 to claim the win that will get his career back on track.

Joyce vs. Hrgovic
Joe Joyce	+275	+275	+275
Filip Hrgovic	-350	-350	-350
Under 8.5 Rounds	-120	-120	-120
Over 8.5 Rounds	-110	-110	-110

Hrgovic may be the favorite, but Joe Joyce has more to lose, making him a very dangerous opponent. It also makes an early finish to the fight look all the more likely.

The fight is -188 to end early and +138 to go the distance. The total rounds spread is 8.5, with  under at -120 and over at -110.

The method of victory betting is:

• Filip Hrgovic to win by KO, TKO, or DQ -110
• Filip Hrgovic to win by decision +240
• Joe Joyce to win by KO, TKO, or DQ +500
• Joe Joyce to win by decision +800
• The draw +1600

For our odds, we have only used the best betting sites for wagering on boxing. You can read more about them on our Boxing Betting Online Apps 2025 page.

Joe Joyce

• Nationality: British
• Age: 39
• Height: 6' 6"
• Reach: 80.5”
• Fight Record 16-3

Joe Joyce was once the next big thing in British heavyweight boxing.

His fight Resume boasts wins over Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker, but his two defeats to Zhilei Zhang in 2023 seem to have ruined his once-promising career.

Joyce started to rebuild his reputation with a 10th-round KO win over Kash Ali 12 months ago. The win wasn’t convincing, but it was still a small step on the road back to competing at world level.

It was to be a short-lived comeback, though. The Juggernaut agreed to fight Derek Chisora in his next fight and it was clear to see that the mental scars inflicted by the defeats to Zhang were still there.

The fight took place in July, with Joyce losing by unanimous decision.

Filip Hrgovic

• Nationality: Croatian
• Age: 32
• Height: 6' 6"
• Reach: 82"
• Fight record: 17-1

Unlike Joe Joyce, Filip Hrgovic has age and time on his side. The Croatian had been in the frame for world title fights for a couple of years and was talked about as a future world champion,

So sure enough, when the IBF ordered Oleksandr Usyk to give up his belt, Hrgovic was one of the fighters in line to fight for the title.

Hrgovic faced Daniel Dubois for the vacant title. The Stoneman was the favorite to win.

As the fight progressed, Daniel Dubois grew in confidence and started to take control.

Hrgovic can point to the doctor stopping the fight as a defense. But to the majority watching, it looked like Dubois was the man in control when the fight ended in the 8th round.

Joe Joyce vs. Filip Hrgovic Betting Picks and Predictions

Joe Joyce hasn’t been the same since he lost his first fight to Zhilei Zhang. If Joyce can’t turn things around for Hrgovic, he will lose again.

The only caveat is we don’t know how Hrgovic is mentally since his loss to Dubois. The Croatian was beaten up in that fight and we don’t know how he will react to the defeat.

The chances are that Joyce won’t last to the final bell. Joyce will probably be knocked out, or he may go out swinging and could pull off a shock win.

Our pick is for the fight to not go the distance at -188.

Joyce vs. Hrgovic Fight to not go the distance

-188

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