After long tedious negotiations, it was announced that unified WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) will defend against IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) at the new 70,000-seat Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on June 20. The bout will air on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK, with a US carrier conspicuously absent. This will be ‘AJ’s’ first fight on UK soil in nearly two years.
Anthony Joshua: “On June 20, I am defending my heavyweight world titles. I’m back in my home city after some time away…the belts go back up in the air and nothing will stop me from being victorious.”
Kubrat Pulev: “I am happy to have the opportunity to show the world how strong I really am. Becoming a heavyweight world champion has always been my mission in life and on June 20 2020 I will fulfill my destiny!”
I don’t know how will sound when Pulev lands on his back in the canvas, but I am sure it will be loud.
Really no excuses for Joshua to lose unless he does not take this serious. I think Ruiz taught Joshua in the first fight a fighter can not take time to get distracted in training.
What you just said Is the reason I believe Joshua will finish Pulev with no mercy. I strong believe Joshua will train and fight with more commitment since his first loss.
A fight literally NO ONE cares about.
This may be a mandatory, but it’s simply a tune-up with a lack-luster seller for air-time in the USA. Any broadcast bidders out there in the US want to buy air-time rights? Oops, I hear crickets chirping! Nobody?
Speak for yourself….it’s HW boxing,i care about it very much so.
I am speaking for myself Tae. We have all choices and endeavors so if watching the fight fits your entertainment schedule, have at it.
From here on out, AJ should be at his very best. This may prove to be a good fight because Pulev can take a good punch, but I’d rather see AJ against Tyson Fury at the end of the year.
Not really must see TV
But, if the replay end up on espn or espn2, that would be ok
Pulev throws the best true rabbit punches in the business. If he can land it he’ll really test the base of AJ’s skull.
It’s a good thing we can easily watch Louis, Frazier, Ali, Griffith, Robinson, Monzon and Pep fights or this would be a terrible time to be a boxing fan. Back when there were a lot of boxing gyms and live fight cards could be found locally several times a week it was almost impossible to watch classic fights, so there is one thing better about the current boxing scene.
No one knows who Louis, Frazier, Griffith, Monzon and Pep are nowadays. Can it with the old man stuff. Boxing is currently bad ass (without MMA) – no more golden age of boxing stuff, please. Where were you when Kelly Pavlik KO’d Taylor, or Joe Smith knocked Hopkins out of the ring. Enough already.
This clearly means that Team Joshua had ample to plan on confronting the Fury v. Wilder II winner post-fight mid-ring to secure a fight, just ten days ago. But Mr. Pulev ‘makes’ more sense. The heavyweight hop-scotch continues.
sort of not related to joshua …pulev….i would like to see a trimmed up ruiz vs wilder ….i reckon ruiz would give wilder a boxing lesson with wilder starring up at the ceiling at the end of the fight
Sometimes fights like this must happen. Hopefully Joshua doesnt have to fight Usyk next. Wilder should avoid Fury or he might end up waiting for a long time at another title shot and/or Joshua. I would really like to see Usyk vs Wilder.
I honestly see Fury beating Wilder. Joshua beating Fury and Wilder beating Joshua. Styles make fights
Style does make fights! Also, it is HW division, anything could happen. Fury will not be easy for Joshua and vice versa, unless one of them comes up with a strategy and put it into action just like Fury did against Wilder. But, remember, he is the only one who got up after receiving a combination Kdown from Wilder, more amazingly he got up with strong legs and fought the 12th round as if the Kdown never happened!
Does not make sense what you say, but then put styles into the argument and it does make sense what you say, agree. What makes the sport great.
Nobody beats a prime Fury in the right state of mind.. The biggest puncher since George Foreman throwing a lucky punch couldn’t keep Fury down..
Pulev is strong but slow and doesn’t throw a lot of punches. He should be a sitting duck for Joshua, as long as Joshua doesn’t get careless. This one may end early. Just not impressed with Pulev.
I’d rather watch a rerun of Eric “butterbean” esch fight cowboy bill eaton 1.
There may be criticism of the fight but it is really the only fight AJ could take if he wanted to become undisputed.
Re the comment on him confronting the winner of Wilder/Fury 2 – would there have been any point? There was a rematch clause in place so even if the winner wanted to fight AJ next he could not commit himself.
Geez, could they set this fight out any later? I guess this means that the WBO title is about to be vacant because AJ was supposed to defend it against mandatory Usyk, but since they drug this fight way the hell out to the middle of the year……
Anyway, the main fight in this division is Fury vs Joshua. I would like to see Usyk fight a good fighter for the vacant title, and then possibly lure the number one heavyweight in the world for a final unification.
Pulev will KO Joshua.
Pulev KO Joshua, Really???
Nice joke.
I don’t get some comments here. Pulev is not a joke. Perhaps he will get stopped but he’s a descent contender. Joshua has to fight someone then he can match up against wilder or fury.
Am I the only one that feels like he is playing Mike Tyson’s Punch Out when I read these fighters comments? lol