Anthony Joshua’s title defense against Kubrat Pulev appears to have a rough date.
Promoter Eddie Hearn told ESPN that the fight, originally scheduled for June 20 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London but canceled because of COVID-19, will take place the first week of December.
No site has been determined. And it could take place behind closed doors, although Hearn and Co. hold out hope that spectators will be allowed.
If things open up, Hearn said, the 02 Arena in London would be in ideal venue for the fight.
“We know AJ’s only going to fight once this year, so we want to give ourselves the best opportunity to bring in a crowd, and that would obviously be the later the better,” Hearn told ESPN. “But it’s still not a gimme at all. There’s still a very strong chance that AJ will have to fight behind closed doors.”
Hearn went on: “Bearing in mind he’s only going to fight once this year, I just feel as we might as well give ourselves every chance to have a crowd and that will be the first weekend of December.
“So they would need to open up. We’d need to get an understanding from the government what is allowed in arenas. Are you going to open at 50 percent [capacity]? Are you going to open up 100 percent? There’s a lot of work that has to go into that with the government and the O2.”
Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. this past Dec. 7, which avenged a shocking knockout loss to Ruiz six months earlier.
Hearn said it’s crucial for Joshua to fight this year and then focus on a potential superfight with countryman Tyson Fury, assuming he beats Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs).
“He must box this year, and obviously it’s up to me to find a solution and a crowd,” Hearn said. “But he also knows at the same time, he must fight because it will be a year in December since the Ruiz fight.
“He’s still improving, he’s still learning, and he’s not prepared to just sit out and not fight.”