Unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua faces Kubrat Pulev at the SSE Arena, Wembley, on Saturday night, knowing defeat will scupper a proposed two-bout series against rival WBC title-holder Tyson Fury in 2021.
Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) is strongly favoured by the bookies, but this is the heavyweight division where the sheer size and bulk of the protagonists means one punch can change everything. Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) is a seasoned campaigner and long-time stalwart of the division’s top 10, but at 39 are his best days now behind him? Boxing Social’s intrepid band of writers and soothsayers attempt to predict the outcome.
I imagine Joshua vs Pulev is going to play out similar to when Wladimir Klitschko fought Pulev six years ago. The moving and cautious Joshua from Ruiz II doesn’t need to be implemented here. A battle of the jabs. Pulev upright, Joshua looking for the opening then the right hand will lead to the end in the fourth round. – Shaun Brown.
AJ beats Pulev one of two ways; tentatively, worried about taking a wild shot in return after having his whiskers damaged in New York, or destructively before the half way mark. Pulev beats AJ zero ways. – Craig Scott.
Even Matchroom’s crack team of elite airbrushers couldn’t make Kubrat Pulev look any more youthful than a man who shared the same paper round as Luis Ortiz. At his best, the Bulgarian was always susceptible to a straight right hand down the pipe, so this Saga Holiday version should make for easy pickings. How Anthony Joshua approaches the fight will be interesting. The Brit still has some work to do to rebuild his reputation despite avenging the Ruiz loss. A lighter more mobile Joshua looked far better in his last fight. We’re so close to an historic British heavyweight superfight with Tyson Fury that he couldn’t possibly cock this up…. could he? Prediction: AJ by third round KO. – Phil Rogers.
I was underwhelmed when this fight was first scheduled for late 2018 and, despite Joshua’s subsequent fall and rise, not much has changed since. Pulev’s upright, uncomplicated style should on the night prove less threatening than his previous unwanted attention to female journalists. The hulking Bulgarian appears to be tailor-made for Joshua, whose team are likely seeking a dominant knockout performance following a more watchful avenging of Andy Ruiz last time out. I pick Joshua to win by stoppage before the halfway point after a cagey opening. The undercard is also less than inspiring, with the inclusion of Lawrence “Dr. Octopus meets Mr. Tickle” Okolie and Hughie “Shades of Ali” Fury. Regrettably, neither is famed for their ascetics or blood-pumping action. Potential PPV punters are probably thinking that a round of drinks and a Chinese has never looked quite so appetising. – Garry White.
Pulev is probably gambling on Joshua being gun shy after his shock loss to Ruiz 18 months ago and safety-first clinic in the rematch. I think the Bulgarian will try his luck with a more aggressive approach. Joshua won’t be complacent given what’s at stake with the potential Fury fight, but he is superior in every department here. In a boxing match or a brawl, he comes out on top. Joshua in seven. – Mark Butcher.
Main image: Dave Thompson/Matchroom Boxing.