Despite gate receipts at Wembley’s SSE Arena being limited to just 1,000 due to the coronavirus restrictions as part of the new regional tier system, Joshua will still get a handsome payday in what will be his first fight in a year.
Browsing: Kubrat Pulev
The 31-year-old entered Matchroom’s bio-secure bubble in London on Tuesday and had to stay in his room for the night before being given the all-clear.
The IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion realises Pulev stands between him and the biggest British boxing match in the sport’s history, a showdown with WBC champ Tyson Fury in 2021.
The Briton will be back in the ring for the first time in 12 months, since he outpointed Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia to claim back the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts he lost to the same opponent at Madison Square Garden in June, 2019.
Joshua faces the Bulgarian at The SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday as he looks to defend his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles.
Joshua and Fury look set to finally fight next year, as long as AJ beats Kubrat Pulev next weekend and the Gypsy King either comes through a proposed bout in early 2021 or simply waits for the super fight in the summer.
The unified heavyweight champion is set to defend his titles against his Bulgarian IBF mandatory challenger on December 12, and is then eyeing an undisputed fight with WBC king Fury.
Joshua’s IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO belts will be on the line in a bout rescheduled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 31-year-old is an Olympic gold medallist and 23-1 in his professional career, which has seen him claim all but one of the heavyweight world titles on offer.
The Bulgarian has been studying Joshua’s fights closely throughout his preparations and believes the unified champion does not have the mental toughness to survive against him.
British boxer Okolie will bid for a maiden world title in his home city on December 12 when Joshua puts his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight belts on the line against Bulgaria’s Pulev at the O2 Arena.
The Bulgarian will challenge for Joshua’s WBA, IBF and WBO titles, with a date and venue for the fight set to be announced.
The 39-year-old had been scheduled to meet Joshua on June 20, but the fight was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Bulgarian was first scheduled to face Joshua, 30, all the way back in October 2017, only to be replaced by Carlos Takam at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff when he sustained a late shoulder injury.
Joshua and Fury are expected to fight at least once in 2021, with AJ bringing his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world titles and Fury adding his WBC strap to a mouth-watering heavyweight unification scrap.
Joshua is expected to defend his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles against mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev on December 12, and Joyce will meet his fellow unbeaten British contender Daniel Dubois.
AJ is currently next scheduled to face mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev later this year, but may then have to fight Oleksandr Usyk before an all-British clash with Fury can materialise.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had been working in the hope that the heavyweight world title fight would take place on December 12 at The O2 in front of upwards of 5,000 spectators as part of the phased reintegration of crowds at live sport.
Joshua holds three of the four major world titles and his next two fights could be against mandatory challengers.
Joshua and Okolie are set to face Kubrat Pulev and Krzysztof Glowacki respectively, two weeks before Christmas.