Joyce v Hrgovic & Adeleye v TKV betting preview

The heavyweight roadshow continues to roll on.

This week the show arrives back into Manchester and the Co-Op Live Arena will host four big men who have plenty to prove and plenty to gain. For all the latest fight odds, visit our sportsbook.

Joe ‘ The Juggernaut’ Joyce and Filip ‘The Animal’ Hrgovic will headline the show with both men desperate to return to boxing’s top table. On the undercard, David Adeleye and Jeamie TKV will contest the vacant British title.

Heavyweight boxing is going through an entertaining period and the big men seem to generate excitement and debate whenever they step through the ropes.

Let’s look over this weekend’s fights and see if we can find some value.

DAVID ADELEYE, 13-1 (12 KOs) V JEAMIE TKV, 8-1 (5 KOs)

David Adeleye will be looking to cement himself at the top of the domestic heavyweight rankings on Saturday night.

In October 2023, a seventh round loss to Fabio Wardley bought the Londoner’s unbeaten run to an end and forced the 28-year-old to rethink his plan of attack.

He sought out the help of renowned trainer, Adam Booth, and set about rebuilding.

Last September he returned and knocked out the previously undefeated English champion, Solomon Dacres, with a single, glancing left hook. He is 1-6 to beat TKV. 

Booth has said that Adeleye bears some startling resemblances to his most famous student; former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion, David Haye. Adeleye is big, powerful and aggressive but also has rare explosiveness.

The fight with Wardley may have come slightly too soon but rather than sulking, Adeleye got straight back to work and although the fight with Dacres only lasted seconds, he looked like a totally different proposition.

TKV is still something of an unknown proposition. The 31-year-old from Tottenham has sparred the great and the good of heavyweight boxing over the years and has undoubted ability. There have been flashes but he has also made hard work of a couple of outings. TKV is a 4-1 outsider.

In September 2023 he suffered a first career defeat and a horrific cut at the hands of Brazilian danger man Igor Macedo but has reeled off three straight wins since.

TKV is a big man himself, he stands 6ft 4in tall and generally tips the scales at around 260lbs but has fast hands and an entertaining, slick style once he finds his flow.

He is making a sizeable step up on Saturday night but he will look at Adeleye’s CV and believe wholeheartedly that it is one he is capable of making.

JOE JOYCE, 16-3 (15 KOs) V FILIP HRGOVIC, 17-1 (14 KOs)

This is the definition of a crossroads fight.

Joyce is nearing the end of a hard, crowd pleasing career whilst after being broken down and stopped by Daniel Dubois last June, Hrgovic must show that he still has the desire and heart to continue his career at the highest level.

Joyce had been due to take on his fellow British veteran, Dillian Whyte, this weekend but when a hand injury ruled Whyte out of the fight, Hrgovic stepped in and on paper at least, the Croatian has the potential to give Joyce an even harder night’s work.

Neither Joyce or Whyte are the most elusive of fighters and both are more vulnerable versions of the men they once were. Hrgovic on the other hand is still at his peak physically and if he has learned the correct lessons from the loss to Dubois, we could see the most dangerous version of ‘El Animal’ yet. Hrgovic is a 7-25 favourite to win the fight. Joyce is a 3-1 underdog. 

For years, Joyce seemed to be an indestructible force. ‘The Juggernaut’ ploughed through opponent after opponent. Joyce wasn’t the quickest or slickest of fighters but he was relentless and blessed with an iron chin.

He peaked back in September 2022 when he wore down and stopped former WBO champion, Joseph Parker to win an interim belt. The following April, Chinese puncher, Zhilei Zhang, exposed the first cracks in Joyce granite chin, hurting him and stopping him in six rounds.  Five months later, Zhang opened those cracks up by knocking Joyce out in a rematch.

The 39-year-old has looked a shadow of himself since and was dropped by Derek Chisora on his way to a ten round loss. Joyce is 21/4 to roll back the years and score a career resurrecting knockout.  

Hrgovic has lots to prove. He was touted as a future heavyweight champion for years but came apart alarmingly during his loss to Dubois. Hrgovic dominated the opening rounds but quickly unravelled when Dubois began to give him a taste of his own medicine. A disheartened, bloody Hrgovic was stopped in the sixth round and hasn’t been seen since.

He will see Joyce as the ideal ‘name’ opponent to make him look good and shoot him back into contention. Hrgovic is 3/4 to win by knockout.

The 32-year-old is younger, faster and has less miles on the clock than Joyce but until he proves otherwise, there will be questions about his desire and stamina. Three years ago, Joyce would have held those qualities up to the fire but – at this stage of his career – it remains to be seen if he is capable of doing so.

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