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Last Updated: 10/16/20 7:38 pm
Anthony Joshua to face Bulgarian challenger Kubrat Pulev
Kubrat Pulev has insisted that he would “never disrespect” Anthony Joshua after referring to the skin of the British heavyweight star before their world title fight.
The Bulgarian will compete for Joshua’s WBA, IBF and WBO titles, and the date and venue of the fight will be announced.
At a press conference in Bulgaria earlier this week, Pulev had referred to Joshua’s skin color when asked about his verdict on the British champion.
Pulev has issued a statement
“His strengths? I would say he has a very powerful punch without a doubt,” he said.
“What are your other strengths? Your tan is better than mine.”
But Pulev has since released a lengthy statement that says, “I would never, under any circumstances, allow me to disrespect another human being on racial, ethnic, or religious grounds.”
“That is what I have been teaching my little nephews all along. Each of us is born on this earth with the same rights and skin color is completely irrelevant.
Therefore, if anyone has been offended by my words, I hope they will try to understand exactly what I meant by them, and if they cannot understand me, please accept my sincere apology.
Kubrat Pulev
“I can’t believe how my words about Anthony Joshua have been taken out of context. It never occurred to me to discredit another athlete because of the color of his skin!
“Among my friends there are people of different races and ethnicities. They are all great and dignified people, as well as my very good lifelong friends whom I respect and love.
“We are in 2020 and I hope that people put an end to this narrow-mindedness and that human beings evolve intellectually to realize that the truly valuable human qualities in this world are not manifested externally, but through the power of the human spirit and the virtues that we carry within ourselves!
“Therefore, if someone has been offended by my words, I hope they will try to understand exactly what I meant by them and if they cannot understand me, then please accept my sincere apology.
Joshua is the unified heavyweight world champion
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Joshua on his birthday today and wish him much happiness and good health, something that is more valuable today than ever!”
Joshua was originally scheduled to face Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in June, but the fight was rescheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pulev is the mandatory challenger for Joshua’s IBF belt after defeating Hughie Fury in a final tie in October 2018.
Sky Sports has reached out to the Matchroom management team and Anthony Joshua for comment.
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