Anthony Joshua to Defend Titles Against Kubrat Pulev in London

The WBA, IBF and WBO champion, Anthony Joshua will fight Kubrat Pulev at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 20 June.

Joshua who regained his belts against Andy Ruiz Jr. in Saudi Arabia in December after losing them to him some months earlier will come against 38-year-old Pulev, who is the mandatory IBF challenger to take on Joshua.

Speaking after the announcement, the Bulgarian said he is happy to have the opportunity to show the world how strong he is.

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This will be Joshua’s first fight in the UK since defeating Alexander Povetkin at Wembley in September 2018.

This fight would have happened in 2017 but Pulev withdrew in October 2017 after suffering a shoulder injury in sparring, and Carlos Takam stepped in as his replacement with 12 days’ notice.

Speaking on the possible all-British unification fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury, who knocked out Deontay Wilder in the US last month, promoter Eddie Hearn had last week said that talks were also underway for the fight in both camps.

Wilder has, however, triggered a rematch clause, meaning the third Fury vs Wilder contest will take place before any potential bout between Fury and Joshua.

Pulev is a former European heavyweight champion who had recorded just one defeat in 29 bouts, which was a fifth-round knockout by Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.

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In an IBF final eliminator in Bulgaria in October 2018, he beat Britain’s Hughie Fury on points in his first fight since pulling out of his original meeting with Joshua. He later went on to win American Rydell Booker, in November via unanimous decision.

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