Joshua is preparing for a highly anticipated showdown with fellow British boxer Tyson Fury, scheduled for December 11 in Cardiff. However, Hrgovic believes the former two-time heavyweight world champion is past his best and is only continuing to fight because of the financial rewards.
Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, the Croatian boxer said Joshua should walk away from the sport despite the huge payday expected from the proposed clash with Fury.
“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’s recent performances have drawn attention, particularly his September 2024 defeat to Daniel Dubois, who stopped him when he challenged for the IBF heavyweight title.
Hrgovic also criticised Joshua’s subsequent performance against Albanian boxer Kristian Prenga, claiming he was shocked by how the British-Nigerian fighter struggled before securing a second-round knockout victory.
The Croatian said he felt sorry for Joshua because the boxer had reportedly made significant changes to his training arrangements in an effort to improve his performance.
“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,” Hrgovic said.
“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.”
Hrgovic further warned that boxing was too dangerous for fighters to continue competing when they could no longer perform at the required level.
“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,” he added.
Meanwhile, Hrgovic is expected to make the first defence of his title against Frank Sanchez in Croatia in early 2027.
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