ANTHONY JOSHUA
VS. KUBRAT PULEV
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT THE BIG FIGHT
- When: Saturday, Dec. 12
- Start time: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT (main event approximately 5:30 ET / 2:30 PT)
- Where: SSE Arena, Wembley, England
- TV: DAZN (Sky Sports in U.K.)
- Division: Heavyweight
- Rounds: 12
- At stake: Joshua’s IBF, WBA and WBO titles
- Odds: Joshua 7½-1
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ANTHONY JOSHUA BIO
- Record: 23-1 (21 KOs)
- Current titles: IBF, WBA, WBO
- Other titles: IBF heavyweight (2016-2019); WBA heavyweight (2017-2019); WBO heavyweight (2018-2019)
- Home country: England (Watford)
- Age: 31
- Pro debut: 2013
- Pro rounds: 103
- Height: 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm)
- Reach: 82 inches (208 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Trainer: Robert McCracken
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KUBRAT PULEV BIO
- Record: 28-1 (14 KOs)
- Current titles: None
- Other titles: None
- Home country: Bulgaria (Sofia)
- Age: 39
- Pro debut: 2009
- Pro rounds: 203
- Height: 6 feet, 4½ inches (194 cm)
- Reach: 79½ inches (202 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Trainer: Manny Robles
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WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH
Joshua is the second best heavyweight in the world (after Tyson Fury) and one of the most compelling figures in the sport. He’s must-see TV every time he fights, particularly because you never know what might happen in the heavyweight division. Example: Joshua lost his titles to Andy Ruiz Jr. by a shocking knockout last year, after which he won the rematch. Pulev is a significant underdog but he’s big, strong and experienced. The only loss of his career came in his only other title shot, a knockout against then-champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. Joshua will probably win but the challenger is no pushover. This is a legitimate matchup.
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FIVE KEY QUESTIONS
Which Joshua will show up? We’ll see. The titleholder lost his swagger after losing to Andy Ruiz Jr. in June of last year. In the rematch, he outboxed Ruiz but fought very carefully.
How will Joshua react if he gets hurt? Who knows? He essentially quit in the first fight with Ruiz, in part because he didn’t know what to do. He surely has a plan in place if it happens again.
Is Pulev a legitimate threat? Yes. He can’t match Joshua’s skill set or punching power but he’s a competent boxer with experience. Plus, he doesn’t give away a size advantage to Joshua.
Will Joshua be distracted by a potential showdown with Tyson Fury? Not likely. He already experienced a devastating, even humiliating setback. He doesn’t want to go through that again.
Is there a rematch clause? Yes. Joshua learned the value of a rematch clause after losing to Ruiz. It allowed him to regain his titles and status. He’ll get a second chance if Pulev pulls off an upset.
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WHY JOSHUA WILL WIN
He’s the better all-around fighter. He has all the physical advantages, aside from size. He’s quicker, more athletic, more powerful and more dynamic. Plus, he has more experience than Pulev at this level of the sport. How can he lose? Well, he could get caught by a big punch. That’s a risk every heavyweight faces. More likely, he’ll use his advantages to outbox Pulev and wait for a knockout to come if that’s in the cards. Joshua will be happy with any sort of victory given the potential megafight with Tyson Fury.
WHY PULEV WILL WIN
The Bulgarian is probably being underestimated. He had a successful amateur career, which gave him a strong foundation in the fundamentals. And he’s been a pro for more than 11 years, fighting at a high level most of the time. In other words, he knows what he’s doing in the ring. He’s confident he can do to Joshua what Ruiz did to him. Maybe he will. Joshua’s resilience remains a question mark after his brutal knockout loss. If Pulev can hurt him, there’s no telling how he’ll react. And it’s possible that Joshua will simply wilt under smart pressure from Pulev.
PREDICTION
This is Joshua’s fight to lose. We expect him to box carefully, win rounds and win a clear unanimous decision.
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ALSO ON THE CARD
- Lawrence Okolie vs. Nikodem Jezewski, 12 rounds, cruiserweights (for vacant WBO title)
- Hughie Fury vs. Mariusz Wach, 10 rounds, heavyweights
- Martin Bakole vs. Sergey Kuzmin, 10 rounds, heavyweights
- Macaulay McGowen vs. Kieron Conway, 10 rounds, junior middleweights
- Florian Marku vs, Alex Fearon, 8 rounds, welterweights
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