David Adeleye insists he has ‘no demons’ from Fabio Wardley loss ahead of Filip Hrgovic showdown
David Adeleye will return to Riyadh on 16 August for the first time since his first and only career loss, against Fabio Wardley, to take on Filip Hrgovic.
Despite this being his first trip back to the Gulf kingdom since the Wardley fight, the Brit insists there are “no demons” for him to exorcise in that regard and is certain he will not make the same mistakes again.
Adeleye told The Ring: “I ain’t got no demons, none,” ahead of his bout on the undercard of Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte. “There are worse things going on in the world. There ain’t no demons there for me.
“I just do what I do, and what I do is fight. Yes, I came up short last time, but I will not be coming up short this time.”
When Wardley and Adeleye came face to face in 2023, it was a competitive fight and the biggest of either man’s career at the time, with the British, Commonwealth and European titles on the line.
Wardley scored a knockout in the seventh round, with a left hook coming out of a clinch to put a temporary hold on Adeleye’s world-title ambitions.
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Adeleye had a 14-month lay-off after the loss but has successfully rebuilt, notching up wins against Solomon Dacres and Jamie TKV – both inside the distance.
The win against TKV came in a controversial turn of events when the referee moved TKV’s arms in the clinch, which allowed Adeleye to land a left hook that dropped his opponent, and the English champion subsequently finished the fight in the sixth round.
The British Boxing Board of Control ordered an immediate rematch between the two and Adeleye was ready, but said that in boxing you have to take opportunities like fighting Hrgovic when they come – vacating his British title to pursue the fight.
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Adeleye said: “The fight was signed, sealed and delivered on my end, but you know what happens in boxing. At the last minute, things pop up.”
Hrgovic is rated at No 2 in the WBO rankings and at No 6 in The Ring’s rankings. But Adeleye does not see a world-level heavyweight in front of him – just another obstacle for him to overcome.
Adeleye explained: “I always knew he was a good fighter, and I’ve known about him since he was in the amateurs. But if you want to get to the top, there are certain obstacles you’re going to have to come through, and this is one of them for me. I want to come through with flying colours.”
Watch Itauma vs Whyte live on DAZN
You can watch Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte live on DAZN on 16 August. More information is available here.
