Hrgovic update! Gym clips included.

Thanks McGrain. Top chins in the amateurs usually translate to the pro's especially if they were tested and stay in the same weight class.

Arslanbek Makhmudov? The Russian is about 6'5 to 6'6" tall, 250-260 pounds ( which top prospects aren't at least 6'4" these days? ). I have no doubt he can hit a ton. Stopping Nistor is not easy. He won his last 12 world series of boxing matches in a row, but really did not beat a top 5 type of super heavyweight amateur talent.

[url]https://www.worldseriesboxing.com/boxers/makhmudov-arslanbek/[/url]

I think the questions for him are boxing skills to beat someone decent on points, long term stamina, and maybe chin a bit. But Nistor hits very hard, so him wobbling Makhmudov needs to be put into perspective.

One to watch for sure, but I have more faith in Hrgovic who should be about 230 pounds soon. The heavyweight division is teaming with top prospects with far better potential that Wilder or Charr ( two champions ) with the ability to take Joshua out in 3-4 years.

Fans are going to see some really good matches down the road.

 

The other guy I like in the amateur pipeline at super heavy is Uzbek Bakhodir Jalolov. He's just turned 23 and is not ready to go pro yet, but he throws straight powerful punches and oozes ability. Can he can put it all together? Needs a little more courage under fire and to grow into his body. He could be one of those guys who just doesn't react well when hit, but part of that could be his youth. We shall see.

Age 20 or 21 vs. full grown super heavyweight men is a very difficult. Even Wlad who won gold in the Olympics at super heavy at age 20 ( 1996 ) would have difficulty with the skilled giants of today in the amateur ranks.

 

At what point does sturdy become a new adjective? For me, its punchers are landing and judging how he takes it. And the answer is Hrgovic took them well from multiple opponents and did not go down even as a teenager or 20-22 year old.

Povetkin to me had a very good chin in the amateurs, and he has proven it in the pro's as well. I think Hrgovic chin based on being hit in the amateurs is as good or better.

If A+ is reversed for pro's only the word I would use is elite as everyone else in the field who fought enough was floored or stopped.

Vysotskyy's points are solid, and he brings up an interesting geographical point with two other Corats known to take a heck of a punch.

I haven't watched a whole lot of World Amateur series of boxing, but I will be in the future as its a launching point for the pro ranks.

Most of the best in the world series of boxing could have turned pro long ago and have a 16-0 type of record fighting lesser talents in the pro ranks. I tend to think the World series of boxing fighters are tested quicker than they would be in the professional ranks for the most part.

 

Price has glass chin signs in the Olympics. He went out easily...vs Amarelle, and was Ko'd by a no name earlier in a relatively short amateur career of 33 listed fights.

Taking a punch in the amateurs and pro's is pretty much the same these days. There is no head gear, and if anything amateurs are more prone to get standing eight counts, something Hrgovic to my knowledge never had.

I think the amount of leather taken in the amateurs by guys who can hit, combined with numerous fights ,many of which happened when he had an age disadvantage prove something.

Perhaps the A+ should be reserved for seasoned pro's, but I'll say this. He's got the best set of whiskers I've seen in super heavyweight boxing since 1996 ( And this includes Povetkin, who's got a very good chin in the pro's ) that was tested by top talents over the course of many years. We might find middle ground if you can agree to that.

 

The door swings both ways.

I'll play the other side. You have heard of caught cold? Sometimes taking a punch is harder early in a fight. Hrgovic condition is good, and never looked to gas in the 5th round of the world series did he? Just a hunch his stamina is fine. Further more, most fighters lose a little power in the later rounds because they aren't as fresh as they were in the early rounds. There is a reason why stoppages from rounds 9-12 are less common than stoppages from rounds 1-5.

Joshua hits hard for sure, but so do many who faced and landed Hrgovic, even when his body wasn't fully mature. Taking a punch is also part mental and test a younger fighters heart.

I have never seen an amateur this battle tested without being stopped or going down when hit over 80+ fights not have a good chin in the pro's, nor have I seen an amateur who was stopped a few times as an amateur suddenly have a top chin once he turned professional. You might find an example, but it rare so my points stand,

I guess the only chance for middle ground I might have with you is this: When a amateur heavyweight turns pro, there are always questions about him, chief among them are can he take a punch. In this case the question has been moved to the point of the heavyweight champion ( Who can hit ) landing a combination later in a fight even though he looks to gas a bit in the later rounds

I do think you've improved as a writer. Keep up the good work.

 

Well, He hasn't gone 12, but he has taken many hard punches. So the chin is not a hunch, the stamina for anyone who has not gone past is.

But he's in fine shape, even a little light for his frame and young so I would be surprised if he gasses in the later rounds. He;s not a 250-260 low out put type who doesn't; move much, quite the opposite.