Kubrat Pulev certainly didn’t get any younger in the three years waiting for this opportunity to come back around.
The question at large is whether or not he can make the most of a second chance title shot versus this version of Anthony Joshua.
A lot has changed since the two were once linked to an October 2017 heavyweight title fight which never saw the light of day. Joshua was an unbeaten fighter at the time and considered to be the class of boxing’s most storied division. Pulev was back in the title mix following a knockout loss to then-lineal champion Wladimir Klitschko in November 2014, only for an injury to force a withdrawal from a crack at Joshua.
“We’ve stayed a long time waiting,” Pulev reflected during Thursday’s final pre-fight press conference for his challenge of Watford, England’s Joshua (23-1, 21KOs), which takes place this Saturday at SSE Arena-Wembley. “We had a problem with my wrist (back then). We couldn’t fight in 2017. But I’m here now, ready to fight. I’m here to win.”
The October 2017 title fight instead went to Carlos Takam, who was stopped inside of 10 rounds by Joshua in front of nearly 80,000 fans at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
Saturday’s contest will see 1,000 fans in attendance, the maximum allowed by United Kingdom health regulators in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The magnitude of the event makes no difference to Bulgaria’s Pulev (28-1, 14KOs), who has won eight straight heading into this weekend’s title fight for which the 39-year old challenger enters as a massive underdog.
Still, it was a fight to get to this point, including an October 2018 points win over Hughie Fury (cousin of lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury) to become a mandatory challenger to one of Joshua’s belts at stake this weekend. It is all part of a six-year rebuilding process, the last three of which have been waiting for a night like this to come back around.
“I’m happy this fight stayed,” noted Pulev. “In this pandemic, it’s not easy. But this fight has stayed (on the schedule). I’m ready and here to fight.
“I think I have everything it takes to win. Respect for Anthony Joshua, of course. Olympic (Gold medalist), world champion. Respect for him, he’s a good fighter. But we have everything it takes to become champion.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox