The new ratings are posted in 10 days, I believe. (Sept. 10). At the moment, Hrgovic is #1. #2 is vacant. #3 is Wilder. #4 is Joshua. #5 is Frank Sanchez. I don't think they'd go any lower than #5 to fill a vacant title. #6 is Joseph Parker. #7 is Agit Kabayel. #8 is Andy Ruiz. #9 is Whyte (who should drop out with his failed test). #10 is Wallin. #11 is Gassiev. Usually, in the IBF, they prefer two boxers fight for the vacant spot at the top of their ratings before matching the #1 fellow with him. That's why they usually leave the #1 or #2 spot vacant, so they can have a sanctioned box-off. Unless they can get Wilder or Joshua to give up their fight to meet Hrgovic (which is doubtful), we'll probably see a bout for the #2 spot, first. So, if Usyk vacates, you might see #5 Frank Sanchez fight someone from 6-10 to become the #2 contender. Then #1 Hrgovic fights the #2 boxer. (As always, they could go any way they choose and don't always follow their own rules.) Meaning, if Usyk vacates, Hrgovic has to wait for someone to fight for the #2 spot first, then he'd fight the winner. (More delays for Filip, in that instance.) Long story short, if Usyk vacates, the first thing we'd see is probably the IBF announce a fight for the #2 spot between Frank Sanchez and someone else (Parker, Kabayel, Ruiz, Wallin or whoever takes Whyte's place). Or, the IBF could ignore Sanchez and piggyback off what the WBC will likely do next and announce that the winner of Wilder-Joshua gets to fight for their title next. If that happened, and the WBC and IBF both sanction Wilder-Joshua, then the winner of Wilder-Joshua could decide to fight either Hrgovic for the vacant IBF belt or become the mandatory for Tyson Fury. Lots up in the air.
Current IBF rankings are boring Hrgovic vs Gassiev could be interesting for example. Hrgovic vs Wilder is not the fight, that I want to see.
I don't think they'd fill a vacant title with a #1 vs a #11. To get the #2 spot, Gassiev would have to beat someone above him first. Gassiev vs. Frank Sanchez, for example. The IBF likes to fill those vacant spots at the top of their ratings with the winners of the "elimination" bouts. And then fill vacant titles when they have a #1 and a #2. Really all depends on if they still have a vacant spot at #2 when the new ratings come out. Do they just go "Our #3 and #4 contenders (Wilder and Joshua) are fighting" ... so the winner becomes our #2 and can fight Hrgovic for the vacant title. Or, since Wilder and Joshua do their own thing, do they match #4 Frank Sanchez (who they may have more control over) with someone knowing the winner of that is more likely to face Hrgovic.
Hearn won't push for AJ to fight Hrgovic, more money fighting Wilder. Hrogivc vs. Zhang 2 could have the IBF and WBO mandatory spots on the line if Zhang beats Joyce again.
Despite presently saying that Wilder is next for Joshua and not many believing this to be the case anyway,If Hearn could get Joshua a fight with Hrgovic for the IBF belt next I believe he would make it in a heartbeat. Joshua with a belt again re ignites the Fury v Joshua fight for huge money and Hearn would promote the life out of it,as well as the Wilder fight still being there should Joshua even lose to Fury. Hearn is only mentioning Wilder now as it is the current biggest fight for Joshua with the Saudi money involved .
