Anthony Joshua is expected to swipe aside Kubrat Pulev when they fight for the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO world heavyweight titles on Saturday night at the SSE Arena in London.Apart from that shock defeat to Andy Ruiz last June, the Englishman has enjoyed an unblemished professional career. This is a mandatory defence and the Bulgarian is rated as the No 1 heavyweight contender by the IBF. However, a more realistic global ranking is No 10 by Ring Magazine and No 11 by Boxrec, both highly-respected independent bodies.Pulev has been beaten just once and that came when challenging Wladimir Klitschko for world honours. Still, the most impressive wins on his record are Dereck Chisora, Hughie Fury and Samuel Peter, all of whom have been credible world title challengers but nothing more.Joshua is odds-on with the bookmakers and Pulev’s relative lack of power means many do not even give him a ‘puncher’s chance’. But the Olympic gold medallist has displayed certain vulnerabilities in recent fights and is under intense pressure to deliver a spectacular win.Despite solid credentials, Pulev has been utterly dismissed, but here are five reasons to the contrary.
1) The pressure to make Joshua vs Fury
Many a defeat has been blamed on a boxer ‘looking past’ their opponent towards the next fight. They vehemently dismiss the possibility at the pre-bout press conference but are quick to raise the issue after a defeat. This fight is seen as a stepping stone for Joshua, a mundane mandatory on the way to a much-anticipated mega-fight with Tyson Fury next year.
That is likely to be the richest single sporting event ever staged in Britain and, for the first time in a generation, all four major heavyweight belts could be on the line.
Fury’s name has featured more than Pulev’s in the previews for Saturday’s bout. No-one could blame Joshua for thinking about the fighter to come as much as the fighter directly in front of him.
It is akin to the situation in which Mike Tyson defended his WBC, WBA and IBF titles in Tokyo 30 years ago. Undefeated No 1 contender Evander Holyfield was at ringside as ‘Iron Mike’ took the ring. He was there to look over his next opponent for a fight that was expected to be the richest ever and decide the sport’s pound-for-pound king. The only problem was the boxer in the opposite corner – a 42-1 shot called James ‘Buster’ Douglas.
2) Pulev’s motivation
At 39, this will be Pulev’s last chance to win a world title. The Bulgarian has been waiting for this fight for three years.
On September 11, 2017, he and Joshua held a press conference ahead of their scheduled bout at the Principality Stadium. By the next day, 70,000 tickets had been sold, a world record for a boxing match indoors. Just over a month later, Pulev sustained a shoulder injury in sparring so Carlos Takam stepped in.
Three years earlier, the former European champion had been knocked out in five rounds when challenging Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF title in Hamburg. He was floored three times before succumbing to a left hook. Afterwards, he lamented a poor gameplan and miserable execution. Surely he will leave nothing in the ring this time.
3) Pulev’s amateur career and ability to be patient
Pulev’s knockout rate is a mere 48 percent, well behind Joshua (88 percent) and even a non-puncher such as Tyson Fury (68 percent).
The prevailing opinion is that the champion will happily stand in range, knowing he is unlikely to be hurt, but close enough to unload his own bombs. But this presupposes Pulev will be there to trade blows.
Although he was hurt by the light-punching Hughie Fury when they fought, the Sofia-born fighter is renowned for his toughness. As a former European Amateur super-heavyweight champion and World Amateur bronze medallist, he also has solid technique, mobility and head movement given his 6ft 4ins frame.
Despite pushing 40, his pro career amounts to a mere 203 rounds which suggests there may be miles left in the tank. Stamina issues have been a concern for Joshua in the past. Pulev’s best ploy maybe patience, remaining mobile early and piling on pressure in the later rounds when a frustrated, tiring Joshua is looking for a finish himself.
4) The lack of a crowd may affect Joshua more than Pulev
Joshua has been ‘box office’ ever since he won the super-heavyweight gold at the 2012 Olympics. He has filled Wembley, the Principality Stadium and headlined at Madison Square Garden. Although 1,000 fans will be present at the SSE Arena on Saturday, it will seem eerily quiet to the popular Watford man.
The behind-closed-doors nature of sporting events in lockdown has been blamed for all manner of effects – from Dillian Whyte’s spectacular knockout at the hands of Alexander Povetkin, to a rash of high-scoring games in the Premier League. The common consensus is that a roaring crowd helps elite athletes maintain focus, especially defensively.
Joshua has been prone to lapses in concentration in previous fights, but Pulev is used to being an unsupported, away fighter. Remember, he did not even compete in his native Bulgaria until his 24th contest.
5) Joshua needs to impress and that will leave him open
History is always written by the winners, boxing history especially. Although Ruiz floored Joshua four times en route to a stunning victory on June 1, 2019, the Mexican hit the canvas first. When Ruiz rose to his feet in the third round, the champion went for the finish landing a couple of solid shots before the challenger changed the fight with a left hook.
Joshua recovered the belts in the rematch in Saudi Arabia with a safety-first approach. As against Joseph Parker, another opponent he feared, Joshua eschewed his much-heralded power and kept Ruiz at bay with his mobility and a stiff jab. It was entirely necessary in the circumstances, but hardly entertaining.
Joshua is the biggest draw in the sport and, to his credit, has never seemed keen on following Wladimir Klitschko’s approach to being a world champion – keeping the title by fighting at home against carefully-selected opponents and keeping those opponents on the end of a long jab.
Joshua’s brand is entertainment, in other words, knockouts. Another dull fight just will not do when you know you may have to shift pay-per-view sign-ups for Joshua-Fury in a few months. It was argued that he only went for the finish against Ruiz to make a statement on his American debut at Madison Square Garden. He must be acutely aware that the last time he went all-out for a knockout, he was flattened himself.