Joshua Vs Pulev: a long time coming
The O2 Arena in London will see heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua square off with Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev on 12 December 2020. This fight has been a long time coming and been delayed for various reasons since 2017. Mandatory challenges and eventually an injured Pulev just 12 days before the fight meant the challenge was axed. It has been over a year since Joshua won back WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles from Andy Ruiz on 7 December 2019. Pulev has had a longer break from the ring, his last fight and win was on 9 November 2019 against Rydell Booker.
Most of Joshua’s fights have been in the UK except his bouts with Riuz, the 1st fight took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City and the second challenge took place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Joshua vs Pulev was originally scheduled at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, but it was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.It is expected that a 1000 spectators will be in the O2 which is not close to the 20 000 capacity. As Joshua has stated in the last few days, this will be a much more intimate experience for these spectators which is pretty exciting. In other words there are plenty of fans out there that are very jealous to say the least!
Anthony Joshua career biography:
Record: 23-1, 21 KOs
Nationality: British
Height: 6’6
Reach: 82”
Age: 31
With the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles on the line, with AJ in the role of champion, he will be doing everything in his power to keep Pulev at bay. Both fighters have stated what a privilege it is to be competing and they are looking forward to the action. This will be the first fight for Joshua on home soil since September 2018.
Kubrat Pulev career biography:
Record: 28-1, 14 KOs
Nationality: Bulgarian
Height: 6’4
Reach: 80”
Age: 39
Pulev, also known as “The Cobra” has held the European heavyweight title twice between 2012 and 2016 he is currently ranked as the world’s ninth best active heavyweight by the Transnational Boxing Ranking Board. He has had some significant wins namely Dereck Chisora, Hughie Fury and Alexander Dimitrenko.
Who to bet on
With Pulev having a 50% Knockout rate and Joshua a 91% knockout rate, Joshua is a considerable favourite(-1250) over Pulev (+600) according to odds from most sportsbooks. At the current moment oddsmakers do not expect the fight to last very long however as we have seen before never underestimate the underdog. Pulev is presently an eight fight champion in his run up match with Joshua, with 3 KOs in that streak. Joshua is a slimmer version of himself and this goes to show he is ready for a lengthy fight.
Arum from the Fury camp firmly believes that Pulev will cause upset and beat Joshua with a knockout. If this happens Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder will meet again in 2021 for surely Joshua will invoke the rematch clause.
Pulev is strong and sturdy with a powerful right hand and an excellent jab. While Joshua is tall and lean with tons of patience, excellent technical boxing ability and a killer instinct.
Eddie Hearn has warned rivals that Anthony Joshua is stronger and wiser and not to mistake his previous shock defeat as a weakness. Joshua is feeling the pressure and there are nerves in the entire camp which is good. This shows you that they have a real fight on their hands.
Who will emerge victorious in Joshua vs Pulev we all wonder? May the best boxing champ take the win. Making this a fight worth watching for the spectators and fans who will be tuning in for the action.
These boxing matches can be bet on on various South African betting sites including MG Sports Betting and Betway. Alternatively have a look at our best betting sites for a complete overview of recommended bookies.
