Filip Hrgovic vs Zhilei Zhang; Public Sees Right Through Saturday’s Horrendous Scoring

[The_budweiser]

Boxing fans around the world witnessed Zhilei Zhang punishing the supposed heavyweight boogeyman, Filip Hrgovic, in a Saudi Arabian boxing ring on Saturday night, only to see Hrgovic receive an undeserved unanimous decision. Despite Zhang’s first-round knockdown of Hrgovic and a ninth-round barrage that had the Croatian staggering around with a blank look on his face, the three official scorecards wrongly favored Hrgovic, 115-112, 115-112 and 114-113. The fans present at Jeddah Superdome were not fooled by the official scoring, and they immediately booed as Hrgovic’s hand was raised.

https://www.ringnews24.com/2022/08/23/big-fights-await-zhilei-zhang-as-public-sees-right-through-saturdays-horrendous-scoring-in-ibf-eliminator/

Woke up to this press release in my email. I did watch the fight but didn't score it but I remember thinking it was close and could go either way. But without scoring it, I could be way off ....

Do you agree with the press release or did the right man win on Saturday night?

[Ledhed1]

Zhang certainly gave Hrgovic all sorts of problems. He attacked in spurts and frequently took Hrgovic's weapons - power shots from distance - away by getting in close. But I think people were swayed by a few isolated moments of success for Zhang. It was twelve rounds, people, and Zhang simply didn't bank enough rounds. Certainly a close one but I didn't have a problem with the decision going Hrgovic's way. That being said, he was most surely exposed if he was supposed to be the cream of the heavyweights in the current 11-20 range. Take your place in the same bucket with the rest and back to the drawing board. I'm not a believer in a fighter's stock rising in an impressive losing performance - a loss is a loss. That only means people underestimated Zhang. But if there was any doubts over his bonafides as a rising prospect, he showed he can hang with the others at his level and has as good a chance as any to break through the door into top 10 contention if he can get back on the winning track and take advantage of another top 15-ish opportunity.

[Cableaddict]

Zhang is a mid-level boxer at best.  He has slow hands, slow feet, and a one-dimensional offense.

His power is almost non-existent,  which makes me believe that most of his KO's were bought & paid for.  (His very first pro fight ended with perhaps the most obvious dive in the history of the sport.)

 

AND YET -

He totally out-boxed Hrgovic.

Which surprised me, because despite being a rabbit-punching POS, Hrgovic appears to be a fairly skilled boxer to me.

 

My only thought is that,  seeing as this is the first pro fight in which Hrgovic didn't throw a constant barage of deliberate, blatant rabbit punches,  the powers-that-be must have warned him about it.  (Maybe team Zhang had something about it in the contract?)

And so poor Fillip was so totally thrown off his game, he didn't know how to move in there.  The poor lad just can't fight clean.

------------------

 

Anyway,  yeah, Zhang clearly beat the pants off of him, though not in an impressive manner.  I don't think I've ever seen a HW land so many clean shots to the head, with almost no effect on his opponent.   Hrgovic was like a cow, brushing away flies.   Lots & lots & lots of flies.

[BoztheMadman]

25 minutes ago, Cableaddict said:

Zhang is a mid-level boxer at best.  He has slow hands, slow feet, and a one-dimensional offense.

His power is almost non-existent,  which makes me believe that most of his KO's were bought & paid for.  (His very first pro fight ended with perhaps the most obvious dive in the history of the sport.)

 

AND YET -

He totally out-boxed Hrgovic.

Which surprised me, because despite being a rabbit-punching POS, Hrgovic appears to be a fairly skilled boxer to me.

 

My only thought is that,  seeing as this is the first pro fight in which Hrgovic didn't throw a constant barage of deliberate, blatant rabbit punches,  the powers-that-be must have warned him about it.  (Maybe team Zhang had something about it in the contract?)

And so poor Fillip was so totally thrown off his game, he didn't know how to move in there.  The poor lad just can't fight clean.

------------------

 

Anyway,  yeah, Zhang clearly beat the pants off of him, though not in an impressive manner.  I don't think I've ever seen a HW land so many clean shots to the head, with almost no effect on his opponent.   Hrgovic was like a cow, brushing away flies.   Lots & lots & lots of flies.

I must LOL at this-he did no such thing. He just outpunched him or hurt him more. But Zhang had like 15 kilos or about 35 pounds on Hrgovic, so that's hardly a surprise. Also, this being the first fight of the year for Hrgovic is another factor. BUT STILL, Hrgovic OUTBOXED Zhang for at least 10 of the 12 rounds. Also the first round, he was in total control there, why I scored it 10-9 for Zhang. And I disagree with you too Bud, scoring wasn't HORRENDOUS, I had it 116-112 for Hrgovic, 8 rounds to 4.

[The_budweiser]

10 minutes ago, BoztheMadman said:

And I disagree with you too Bud, scoring wasn't HORRENDOUS

That wasn't my title Boz, it was the press release title sent to all the boxing websites.

[BoztheMadman]

29 minutes ago, The_budweiser said:

That wasn't my title Boz, it was the press release title sent to all the boxing websites.

Oh right, sorry then. My bad.

[Cableaddict]

1 hour ago, BoztheMadman said:

..... Hrgovic OUTBOXED Zhang for at least 10 of the 12 rounds. Also the first round, he was in total control there, why I scored it 10-9 for Zhang. 

Wow.

Don't they have optometrists in Albania?

 

Pretty much the entire rest of the boxing world disagrees with you, Boz.  Me, the crowd, the commentators, the vast majority of the internet ......

Listen to the crowd boo when the scores were announced.

 

[BoztheMadman]

2 hours ago, Cableaddict said:

Wow.

Don't they have optometrists in Albania?

 

Pretty much the entire rest of the boxing world disagrees with you, Boz.  Me, the crowd, the commentators, the vast majority of the internet ......

Listen to the crowd boo when the scores were announced.

 

I am from BOSNIA, you idiot! Rest of the world, that would be, who? You and some idiot who wrote this article?

[BoztheMadman]

And FYI, I don't give a shit what the idiots on the internet think. They will call anything a robbery if they liked the losing fighter better.

[Cableaddict]

Ouch,  Boz is really riled up.

 

 

 

 

I Like it !    

[LondonRingRules]

On 8/23/2022 at 4:42 AM, The_budweiser said:

Boxing fans around the world witnessed Zhilei Zhang punishing the supposed heavyweight boogeyman, Filip Hrgovic, in a Saudi Arabian boxing ring on Saturday night, only to see Hrgovic receive an undeserved unanimous decision. Despite Zhang’s first-round knockdown of Hrgovic and a ninth-round barrage that had the Croatian staggering around with a blank look on his face, the three official scorecards wrongly favored Hrgovic, 115-112, 115-112 and 114-113. The fans present at Jeddah Superdome were not fooled by the official scoring, and they immediately booed as Hrgovic’s hand was raised.

https://www.ringnews24.com/2022/08/23/big-fights-await-zhilei-zhang-as-public-sees-right-through-saturdays-horrendous-scoring-in-ibf-eliminator/

Woke up to this press release in my email. I did watch the fight but didn't score it but I remember thinking it was close and could go either way. But without scoring it, I could be way off ....

Do you agree with the press release or did the right man win on Saturday night?

--- Fans gonna boo any close fights. It's what they do best. 

Good fight where Zhang over performed and Hrg underperformed.

 

[lamarclark09]

Filip Hrgovic beat Zhilei Zhang and won this match.  Filip Hrgovic claims a unanimous decision win over Zhilei Zhang in a thrilling IBF heavyweight eliminator.