Anthony Joshua will step foot back in the boxing ring on December 12 as he takes on Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev, it has been confirmed.AJ's promoter Eddie Hearn took to Twitter this evening to confirm the news and finally announce that the fight is going ahead this year despite the current ongoing coronavirus pandemic.In truth, the fight has been in the pipeline for several months, but we now have the official announcement, the date and also the venue.Heading back to the O2 Arena, AJ and Pulev will share the ring just before Christmas on December 12, as the Brit defends his WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO titles.Posting on Twitter, Hearn wrote: "On December 12, we end the Year with a BANG!!! Back in the Lions Den @TheO2 for #JoshuaPulev live on @skysportsboxing @dazn_usa."He finished the tweet off with several fire emojis; it's safe to say he is pumped, and he's not alone!Although Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev isn't exactly the fight we all want, it will be great to see the champ back in the ring after what feels like a lifetime ago since his redemption mission against Andy Ruiz Jr.
Whether fans will be allowed in the O2 for this event remains unknown, but it seems like the fight will go ahead whether it's behind closed doors or not.
Speaking about fans being able to go to the fight, AJ said: "Without the fans something huge is missing. I'm really hoping that, safety permitting, we might be able to bring some fans in."
Hearn also addressed the topic, and he said: "We'll be doing everything we can to lobby for the safe return of fans to this event."
Of course, AJ and Pulev have history and were supposed to share the ring back in 2017, until the Bulgarian had to pull out due to injury.
That fight was scheduled for the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, but instead of Pulev lacing up a pair of gloves, it was Carlos Takam, who took the bout on just 12 days' notice.
As we all know, AJ got the job over Takam that night, and he will now be hoping he can put Pulev behind him come December 12.
Then we all know what's next... Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury!