Ivaylo Gotzev – Syndication Server

Kubrat Pulev has designs on spoiling Anthony Joshua’s plans

Kubrat Pulev, Anthony Joshua’s next opponent, and his team say he might end being the one faces Tyson Fury next.

The momentum is building toward a lucrative two-fight, title-unification series between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

One potential problem? Kubrat Pulev, Joshua’s next opponent, has no plans to cooperate.

Joshua, who holds three heavyweight titles, and Pulev, mandatory challenger for one of the belts, have no date set because of the coronavirus pandemic but they are expected to meet in late summer or fall.

The location also is uncertain, although sites in the Middle East and Croatia are being considered.

“We’ve got a little history going here, with Kubrat and British heavyweights,” Ivalyo Gotsev, Pulev’s manager, told Sky Sports. “He’s knocked off quite a few. He shut up Derek Chisora because he had a big mouth.

“That was great, then beating another Fury, the little cousin was also a pretty good feat. That was the fight that qualified him to be the No 1 contender to Joshua, another British champion, so there is a little connection there.

“Kubrat versus U.K., I like that. A little name for himself there, so yeah, let’s deal with Joshua first. Let the best man win, and then we’ll look at options with Tyson Fury. Either way, all roads lead to Fury.

“I can say that, because I think he’s shown to be one of the supreme guys out there, if not the supreme guy. He is the man. It would be delightful to face the UK champions, one after another, wouldn’t it?”

Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) has won eight consecutive fights since his only loss, a fifth-round knockout against then-champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. The fight with Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) is the Bulgarian’s second title shot.

“His mindset is, ‘We’re going to war,’” Gotsev said. “Going to war. It’s a lot of preparation. We know what’s at stake. This is his chance to rise to the top and become the first and only heavyweight champion from our country and that part of the world.

“It’s a very exciting time for him, and he’s doing everything he has to do to get himself ready for this fight. It’s going to be a formidable fight. They’re the same height, same physical strength and let’s see who is the better boxer now and a better fighter of this era.

“Kubrat will present a great challenge for Joshua, that’s all I can say.”

Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, said he would like to stage the fight with Pulev in the U.K. but he’s at the mercy of the pandemic.

“We hope between September and December live gates will return to the U.K.,” Hearn said. “There is also a chance they won’t. If that’s the case, we will take the fight elsewhere. We have had a number of approaches from the Middle East, China, and Croatia to stage the fight.

“We want to give ourselves every opportunity to stage it in the U.K., but we know it may not be possible. We want the mandatory defense boxed off, out of the way, before [Joshua] moves into the undisputed fight next year.”

Anthony Joshua, Kubrat Pulev have three weeks to choose site for their fight

Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev have about three weeks to select a site for their title fight, according to Pulev’s manager.

Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev have about three weeks to figure out where they’re going to hold their world title fight, according to Pulev’s manager, Ivaylo Gotzev.

The two were originally set to square off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20, but the fight was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to the two fighters discussing alternative options.

“Eddie [Hearn] has spoken to you about the Middle East, which is a great possibility,” Gotzev told Sky Sports. “It makes sense, because those countries were not as hard affected, and if you take the right precautions, we could really have a safe environment.

“That’s something I want to emphasize, and I can’t say it enough times — safety first. We don’t want to take a risk against anyone’s health, no way, no how.”

Outside the Middle East, one of the venues that has been discussed is the Pula Arena, a Roman amphitheater on the coast of Croatia with a capacity of 5,000. The venue is popular for concerts.

“Croatia is one of the countries that was not hit very hard, as we know, and also with proper measurements, that could be the case where we’re not exposing everybody,” Gotzev said. “An open-air stadium where you could spread out the crowd a little bit makes perfect sense.”

That being said, Hearn still thinks the fight would ideally take place in Britain because Joshua is British and has been vocal about wanting to fight in front of his home nation after regaining his titles in a rematch win over Andy Ruiz Jr. in Saudi Arabia back in December.

“At the moment our preference is to stage the event in the U.K., but we will keep our options open in terms of alternative venues if U.K. is not an option,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

Gotzev said that Pulev is all for having the fight in the U.K. and doesn’t mind giving Joshua home-field advantage.

“It was Joshua’s demand, ‘I want to go back home.’ OK Joshua, you’re the champ, we respect that, we’re coming to the U.K. Kubrat is coming there to kick your ass, in front of your crowd. No problem,” Gotzev said.

“They are fighters. It’s one against the other. At the end of the day, the public can jump, scream and shout, but it’s mano e mano in the ring, we’ve worked out that. To us, it didn’t matter that the fight is taking place in the U.K.”

Kubrat Pulev wants Anthony Joshua fight but open to stepping aside

Kubrat Pulev intends to face Anthony Joshua in his next fight but hinted that he’s open to stepping aside for a Joshua-Tyson Fury showdown.

Kubrat Pulev made it clear that he intends to challenge heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua in his next fight but hinted, ever so slightly, that he might be open to stepping aside.

The handlers of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua reportedly are exploring the possibility of going directly into an all-British title-unification fight this winter in Saudi Arabia. However, Pulev, who has a signed contract to fight Joshua, and Deontay Wilder, with a deal to fight Fury a third time, would have to give the go-ahead.

“We have signed contracts for that fight and everything is ready,” Pulev told BoxingScene.com. “We worked on this contract for maybe two months and it was not so easy. But now we have this contract and I am ready. I don’t want to wait. I want the title fight with Anthony Joshua and I will beat him really good and get the second knockout against him.

“I am the mandatory challenger and these are the rules. It doesn’t matter who wants to box him or who he wants to box. Anthony Joshua has to box me.”
That said, money sometimes motivates people to change their minds.

Pulev was asked specifically whether stepping aside – for the right price – is a possibility.

“I am ready for this fight against Joshua, so I don’t know,” he said. “Nobody knows. I want this fight. When somebody comes to me and tells me something and offers me something, maybe. I don’t know, but I want this fight, I am ready for this fight and I believe this fight will happen this year.

“I’ve waited a long time for this fight with Anthony Joshua. I am the longtime mandatory for this fight, but I am open for talking, no problem. But I want this fight. That’s it.”

Of course, an offer must be made.

“The fact is we have a signed and sealed contract with Joshua, so there are no arguments there,” Pulev co-promoter Ivaylo Gotzev told BoxingScene.com. “There are two separate signed contracts between four fighters, a signed contract for Fury and Wilder to have a third fight and Wilder has executed his rights. That’s a known fact. And there is also the contract we have for Anthony Joshua to fight Kubrat Pulev. We’ve waited for this fight for a long time. We’re not going away. We must fight Joshua next, per our signed agreement.

“There hasn’t been a single word about a step-aside deal. We haven’t been approached about one. We are all interested in rescheduling Joshua-Pulev as soon as possible.”

Joshua and Pulev were set to meet on June 20 at the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London but the fight was postponed indefinitely because of the coronavirus threat. No date had been selected for Fury-Wilder III when the pandemic took hold.

Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua: Promoters face uphill battle

The handlers of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are open to the idea of an immediate showdown but obstacles stand in the way.

The handlers of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are discussing the possibility of a blockbuster showdown this coming December in Saudi Arabia. The fight could happen – but perhaps sometime next year.

That’s because of two other well-known big men, Deontay Wilder and Kubrat Pulev, both of whom have signed contracts in their possession that say they are next in line to fight the heavyweight titleholders.

And aren’t willing to step aside so Fury-Joshua can be made, at least not yet. Wilder, who was stopped by Fury in February, exercised a clause in their contract that allowed for another fight but it could not be finalized because of the coronavirus threat. Joshua vs. Pulev was set for June 20 but later postponed.

Shelly Finkel, Wilder’s advisor, told ESPN: “As far as we’re concerned, the next fight [for Wilder] is the third fight [with Fury].”

Ivaylo Gotzev, Pulev’s co-promoter, told BoxingScene.com: “That clause was covered very well. There’s no way out, even though Joshua keeps looking for new ways to avoid us. We have exercised our right to fight for the title we’ve been waiting for years.

“We understand that a fight with Fury and Joshua is big for the United Kingdom. The last we checked, we do not all live under a newly established British Empire. Let’s just all do the right thing and move forward with the fights we have in writing.

“After Anthony Joshua loses to Kubrat, he can go fight whoever he wants.”

Of course, as Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn said, “Everything is solvable with money.”

ESPN reported that the management firm MTK Global – negotiating for Fury – is awaiting an offer from promoters in Saudi Arabia, where Joshua-Andy Ruiz II took place and authorities are keen to host more big boxing events.

If the offer is big enough to satisfy the demands of Fury and Joshua, as well as pay Wilder and Pulev enough to step aside, then it’s possible the all-England heavyweight showdown could take place before the end of the year.

If not, or if either Wilder or Pulev refuse all offers, then it seems likely that Fury-Joshua would have to wait.

Meanwhile, Hearn acknowledged that foreign entities have expressed interest in hosting Fury-Joshua but said negotiations are, in fact, not underway because of the aforementioned contractual obligations.

“Everything is solvable with money,” Hearn said on Sky Sports’ “The Boxing Show.” “But the major hurdle is we’re both under contract for other fights. Could a deal be struck for them to step aside? Absolutely. Would we be willing to entertain it? Absolutely.

“But right now the focus is on the contracts we have signed with a move for the winners fighting the winners probably in spring ’21.”

He went on: “We’ve had a number of approaches from territories inquiring and making offers to stage that fight. Ourselves and MTK have been in discussions to look at those offers and discuss when this fight might take place.

“We would love to bring A.J. against Fury to the U.K. Right now, especially in December, that doesn’t look like a possibility. While I’d love to say, ‘We’re in negotiations and it’s close,’ what we’re doing is we’re talking and we’re all moving in the right direction.

“We’ve all got the same mindset which is: Create the biggest fight in boxing history between two British world champions fighting for the undisputed world heavyweight championship.

“You will get this fight. It’s just a case of when and where.”

Joe Goossen didn’t think twice about training Kubrat Pulev

Joe Goosen will train heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev for the latter’s title shot against Anthony Joshua, the trainer announced…

Joe Goossen isn’t the deliberating type. When you make him an offer, expect a response in three to five business days. One if he’s really sold on it.

In case you haven’t heard, Goossen is really sold on Kubrat Pulev. The veteran trainer is set to begin working with the Bulagrian heavyweight contender, who is looking to upset British kingpin Anthony Joshua on June 20 in London.

Goossen made the announcement while he was working the Fox broadcast of Robert Helenius’ shocking win over Adam Kownacki last Saturday night in Brooklyn. He said he’ll leave for Bulgaria this week to start training Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs), a decision one would imagine would have required some reflection. Leaving the sunny climes of Southern California, where Goossen is from, for the rust belt of Eastern Europe at this time of the year, after all, is generally a pretty big ask.

Of course, the chance to train one of the principals in a massive heavyweight title fight is a powerful incentive. Less than 24 hours after receiving the offer, Goossen was bugging Pulev’s handlers for YouTube links.

“I just found out about [the Pulev offer] yesterday (Friday) and I’ve been watching film,” Goossen told Boxing Junkie as he was leaving Barclays Center on Saturday.

And the verdict?

“I really like his style,” he said. “He fights like a middleweight.”

Goossen, who hails from one of the most storied boxing families in the business, has some history working with middleweights, most notably Michael Nunn. He has famously worked with the Ruelas brothers, Gabriel and Rafael, and the late Diego Corrales.

As for as heavyweights go, Goossen has helped mold the likes of Lance Whitaker, Dominick Guinn, Malik Scott and Lionel Butler. Most recently, he trained Chris Arreola for his fight against Kownacki last year. The point is he’s been around the block and seen a few things. He has experience. Pulev’s Bulgarian handler Ivaylo Gotzev – Pulev is also co-promoted by Top Rank – apparently wants some of that vast know-how to rub off on his client.

“I got a call from his promoter Ivalo out of the blue,” Goossen said. “I’ve known Ivaylo for 25 years, and he thought of me, and I’m glad he did, and I was more than happy to take the job.”

Of course, Goossen has yet to actually work with Pulev. So far, everything’s been based on the eye test. After a lifetime in the sport, Goossen, 66, has a pretty reliable set of eyes.

“I think we’re going to make a good fit,” Goossen said. “His style is good, and I think he’s going to make a good fit for me. That’s about it.”

One hopes it will be as good a fit as one of those natty denim jackets Goossen likes to wear.

Follow Sean Nam on Twitter @seanpasbon