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Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev went head-to-head
Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev went head-to-head
One day, the “long list” of future opponents that Anthony Joshua revealed was handed to him will qualify as a historical document, a Magna Carta of muscle.
Kubrat Pulev’s name was on the list, Joshua confessed, of the rivals he should hope to eventually face when he first saw the heavyweight division; seven years later, they will face off for the IBF, WBA and WBO titles on Saturday, live on Sky Sports box office.
That scrap of paper with notes written along with the names of the fighters Joshua was targeting must surely have contained Tyson Fury as well.
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2:35 Pulev says he doesn’t think Joshua is ‘hungry’
Joshua explained exclusively to Sky sports: “I have a long list of heavyweights and I’m going to eliminate them.
“In 2013 my uncle gave me a list of heavyweights and [wrote next to their names]: ‘Chisora, Klitschko …’
Pulev was on that list. It was a question of when.
“He’s still here. He’s been here for years.”
Klitschko ruled the roost in 2013 and, a year later, inflicted the only loss in Pulev’s record of 29 fights. None of those veterans could have known then that an ambitious young British man had circled their names in a threatening circle.
The ‘long list’ prophecy came true with Klitschko and now Pulev.
But the intrigue is who else must have been included.
0:40 Joshua promises to be the ‘last man standing’
Fury had been five and a half years and 22 wins deep into his burgeoning career when Joshua, an Olympic gold medalist in tow, moved on to the pros – it’s a stark reminder of how much longer the WBC champion has been fighting. away in this wild game.
Fury was not at the level of Klitschko or Pulev in 2013, but he had already beaten Derek Chisora, who Joshua revealed was written on the list transmitted by his uncle.
A riveting fight between Joshua and Fury, described by Eddie Hearn as “one of the greatest of all time,” a rare moment of promoter understatement, has never been closer.
Dispatch Pulev, and there are few obstacles for Joshua and Fury to decide the undisputed champion of the division in 2021.
The ‘long list’ revealed by Joshua at Thursday’s press conference illustrates, as the fight with Fury looms, how long they have been on this collision course.
For now, Joshua’s stance is: “The other fights that have been mentioned? I’m not interested. Only in Pulev.”
And rightly so, because he has been annoyed before by overlooking a challenger to another champion.
Pulev, the battle-hardened Bulgarian who has beaten Chisora and Hughie Fury, drew Joshua’s ire when they went head-to-head for the first time this week.
He yelled at the cameras: “New champion …”
Joshua, his face covered by a mask, burned Pulev with a look of utter contempt for that comment.
The champion then revealed what else his challenger muttered from close range: “Pulev said, ‘Good fight, interesting fight!'”
This is a fight Joshua knew he would have since 2013.
“I have known Pulev for many years,” he said. “He was in training ground when his brother [Tervel Pulev the Olympic bronze medallist and unbeaten cruiserweight] he was training Warren Baister.
“I was at Wladimir Klitschko’s camp when he was preparing for Pulev. So I understand some of the tactics to beat Pulev.”
Joshua spoke with Klitschko for an hour on Wednesday of this week, he revealed to Sky Sports News.
How much do they talk
“Constantly,” Joshua said. “He’s from the old school era and then he came into our era. He’s been around for a long time, so choosing his brain is amazing.
“He’s moved away from boxing and doesn’t like to get too involved, so having that direct access to him is great.
“Every fight is different. There is inside information, but we don’t focus too much on it. He advises me on myself.”
5:05 Joshua says he’s ‘constantly’ in contact with Wladimir Klitschko
Fury has confirmed that he will not accept an invitation to watch from ringside, and Hearn reacted: “I think sometimes wrestlers feel, ‘Why should I go see him? He hasn’t come to see me before.’
“It would be nice if you came. I think you should come. You should be looking closely. You may not feel like you have to look closely.
“I am happy with the conversations that are happening behind the scenes to know that he wants to fight.
“Appearing in a fight is always a good way of saying, ‘I’m ready, I want the fight.’
“But I know he wants the fight. There are still a few days for him to change his mind. He’s more than welcome, but we have to focus on business.
“It doesn’t matter who’s in the crowd. Tyson Fury can see it on TV, he can be in the crowd. If Joshua doesn’t win, there’s no fight, so he has to win this fight and the pressure increases.”
If the prophetic snippet from the 2013 notebook is correct again, maybe Fury really is next for Joshua.
Watch Joshua vs Pulev on Saturday, live on the Sky Sports Box Office, starting at 6pm. Book via your Sky remote or book online here. Even if you are not subscribed to Sky TV, you can reserve and watch it here.
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