Anthony Joshua v Kubrat Pulev: Everything you need to know
Published:
World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will defend his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO boxing titles against Kubrat Pulev on Saturday 12th December in London.
Joshua was scheduled to face his IBF mandatory challenger in June before a proposed clash with Tyson Fury in an undisputed world heavyweight champion bout.
AJ hasn’t stepped out in the ring competitively since he reclaimed his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr with a unanimous points victory in Saudi Arabia in December 2019.
Joshua v Pulev will be shown on Sky Sports Box Office and we’ve gathered everything you need to know with the latest odds and more!
When is Joshua v Pulev?
The fight will take place at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday 12th December 2020. This will be Joshua’s first fight on home soil in over two years.
Joshua is the 1/9 favourite to win the fight with Pulev a 11/2 outsider to beat Joshua. A draw or Technical draw is 25/1 odds.
The fight with Pulev was planned to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Negotiations are ongoing for an undisputed world title fight with WBC champion Tyson Fury in 2021 if Joshua can beat Pulev.
Why are they fighting?
Britain’s unified boxing world champion will be determined to reign supreme in a hotly contested heavyweight division.
Pulev is an opponent with proven pedigree, with a sole defeat to Wladimir Klitschko, and he’ll be hoping to send more shockwaves through the sport with a knockout blow to delay any potential showdown with Fury.
31-year-old Joshua will be putting his title belts on the line as he aims to move one step closer to securing a unified all-British heavyweight bout with WBC champion, Fury in 2021.
Joshua to win by KO is 2/5 with AJ to win on points after 12 rounds 14/5 odds.
Who is Kubrat Pulev?
This is a fight which has been in the pipeline for some time after a shoulder injury forced Pulev out of their planned world title bout in October 2017.
The 39-year-old Bulgarian held the European heavyweight title twice between 2012 and 2016 but has only challenged for a world title on one occasion, a fifth-round knockout defeat to Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. Joshua is 10/1 to win the fight in the fifth-round against Pulev.
Since then, the Bulgarian has won his last five fights and will step into the ring against Joshua with a formidable record of one defeat in 28 fights and 14 knockouts. Pulev to win by Knockout is 8/1.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
