Purse Bid Canceled As Filip Hrgovic Vs. Andy Ruiz Called Off
According to BoxingScene.com, Andy Ruiz has chosen not to proceed with the mandated interim IBF heavyweight championship bout against Filip Hrgovic.
Before the purse bid hearing on February 23rd, 2023, his representatives conveyed this message to the governing body, which then led to the hearing being canceled following six weeks of no progress.
The Croatian boxer Hrgovic, who has an unblemished record of 15 wins and 12 knockouts, is now looking for a new opponent in order to stay busy while he waits for his opportunity to challenge Oleksandr Usyk, the unified champion.
Hrgovic-Ruiz: Purse Bid Canceled, Interim IBF Title Fight No Longer In Play https://t.co/J1kSB4dJPV pic.twitter.com/OhDXWUGlri
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) February 23, 2023
The IBF has already given their approval for an interim title fight while Usyk continues negotiations for an undisputed championship bout against Tyson Fury.
Background
The IBF first directed Hrgovic-Ruiz to take place on January 11th, 2023, giving the two sides a month to come to a deal.
When an agreement couldn’t be made, the IBF allowed for an exception and moved the purse bid hearing earlier.
The IBF was ready to go ahead with the purse bid, and the Board of Directors decided that Hrgovic should have a 60% share of the purse.
Normally, a vacant title fight will have a 50/50 division, but as Hrgovic was the mandatory challenger, it was decided that he should get the greater portion.
Both ex-heavyweight champions Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua are ranked lower than Ruiz, so things wouldn’t get any easier for Hrgovic.
But for now, this is just another fight that the fans will not be seeing.