Comments Thread For: IBF: Joshua Must Fight Pulev Next, Must Reach Deal By 9/3

[soul_survivor]

Wilder needs to fight a worthy, genuine top 10 guys before he challenges AJ for the real championship. In the mena time, AJ can KO Pulev.

[champion4ever]

I expect Amthony Joshua to get stripped of either one or the other title; Meaning the WBA or IBF. My guess is that he'll probably bypass the WBA mandatory and risk getting stripped of it in order to challenge the Pulev mandatory.

I know that I may be wrong and am only speculating. However, I think that the Pulev defense would be the easier of the two, because he has already been knockout before and is no longer undefeated. While on the other hand, Luis Ortiz hasn't and is still undefeated.

[champion4ever]

Legally. he is contractually obligated to defend his WBA mandatory title against Luis Ortiz first. However, I can see where the two sides can come together and work out some kind of set aside money deal to make room for a Pulev defense first or Team Ortiz could just as easily well may opt to sue the WBA in the U.S. Federal court in order to strip Anthony Joshua of that title.

[Randall Cunning]

Legally. he is contractually obligated to defend his WBA mandatory title against Luis Ortiz first. However, I can see where the two sides can come together and work out some kind of set aside money deal to make room for a Pulev defense first or Team Ortiz could just as easily well may opt to sue the WBA in the U.S. Federal court in order to strip Anthony Joshua of that title.

The IBF mandatory was due before the Klitschko fight though, before he even had the WBA, they granted Joshua an exception so he could fight Klitschko, then another for the rematch.

Think he'll just give up the WBA, Ortiz's lot are gunna be difficult to deal with, always ranting about taking people to court

[IHATEBOBARUM1]

Of course it wont, itll just mean we end what was looking like a promising year for heavyweights with

Joshua/Pulev
Wilder/Stiverne
Ortiz/Ustinov

Hopefully next year will be the year

Well off to the UFC I guess where we get to see jones vs Dc.
Fuc*ing boxing I don't know why I bother.

[Scopedog]

I don't think Ortiz will want to wait any longer, but maybe Pulev could be convinced to step aside in return for some cash, a fight on the undercard of AJ's next fight and a promise that he's next in line. Ortiz, Pulev and then maybe Wilder afterwards would be a great run against three legit opponents.

[cally93]

Lol these sanctioning bodies need to get off his ****. What's he supposed to do, have a triple threat match?

I see your point, but the wba ordered the mandatory before the klitschko fight,,,he has was told the winner would have to fight Ortiz, they wasted too many weeks chasing the rematch...am sure Eddie Hearn will find a loophole around it though.

[champion4ever]

The IBF mandatory was due before the Klitschko fight though, before he even had the WBA, they granted Joshua an exception so he could fight Klitschko, then another for the rematch.

Think he'll just give up the WBA, Ortiz's lot are gunna be difficult to deal with, always ranting about taking people to court

I can understand all of that but the fact remains the same. Ortiz was the WBA mandatory challenger for several months prior to Anthony Joshua even capturing that belt and now he is entitled to it; Whether AJ is the belt holder or not. What I am saying is that Ortiz had been promised his title shot long before Joshua came into the picture.

Lastly, Anthony Joshua owes Team Ortiz nothing but the WBA does. They can't sue Team Joshua to fight them unless he refuses to relinquish the title. If Team Joshua relinquishes the title then there is nothing Team ortiz can do about it because he would become the new WBA champion by either default or challenge for it while it's vacated.

[Randall Cunning]

I can understand all of that but the fact remains the same. Ortiz was the WBA mandatory challenger for several months prior to Anthony Joshua even capturing that belt and now he is entitled to it; Whether AJ is the belt holder or not. What I am saying is that Ortiz had been promised his title shot long before Joshua came into the picture.

Lastly, Anthony Joshua owes Team Ortiz nothing but the WBA does. They can't sue Team Joshua to fight them unless he refuses to relinquish the title. If Team Joshua relinquishes the title then there is nothing Team ortiz can do about it because he would become the new WBA champion by either default or challenge for it while it's vacated.

Yeah man, just been looking through some articles from earlier in the year. WBA did say theyd let Joshua fight someone else if it was a big enough fight. Guess they don't see Pulev being a big enough fight to grant him another exception.

Thing is Klitschko left everything so late, that a deal needs to be made real soon. Hearn has a good relationship with the Sauerlands and I think itll be easier to get a deal in place sooner for Pulev than it would Ortiz. Id imagine Ortiz will be a nightmare to negotiate with. Think Haymon would prefer Ortiz fighting for a vacant and having Wilder/Ortiz next year

[Fabes88]

I see your point, but the wba ordered the mandatory before the klitschko fight,,,he has was told the winner would have to fight Ortiz, they wasted too many weeks chasing the rematch...am sure Eddie Hearn will find a loophole around it though.

The WBA rules state that super champions have 18 months to fulfil their mandatory obligations so legally I'm not sure how they can force this one on him, that's the whole point of a super championship. I think the WBA would've been aware of the rematch clause as well.

Everyone knew that his ibf mandatory was due and there was nothing he could do about that. He tried to fight pulev in December but he turned the fight down.