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Anthony Joshua says Wladimir Klitschko has offered advice on Kubrat Pulev
Anthony Joshua says Wladimir Klitschko has offered advice on Kubrat Pulev
Anthony Joshua’s plans to dominate heavyweight were thrown in disarray by Kubrat Pulev, just months after his best win.
Britain’s unified champion had perfected his vicious tactics for Pulev three years ago, but they will finally fight on Saturday. live at Sky Sports Box Office, and Josué can get retribution for 12 nights of torment.
Joshua had to wipe the blood from his seriously injured nose before he explained the end of his world title win against Carlos Takam to more than 75,000 fans at Principality Stadium in October 2017.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
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Joshua had a brutal battle with late replacement Carlos Takam
Six months earlier, Joshua had declared himself the new ruler of the division after subduing Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium, and his destructive fists had been prepared with cruel intentions for Pulev.
But a casual conversation about the Bulgarian challenger had created the first waves of concern in promoter Eddie Hearn.
“Someone told me, ‘Just be careful if this guy shows up.’ It was a very weird thing to say to me and it made me click gear, click action and say, ‘You better have someone waiting.’
“Thank the lord we did.”
Takam, the France-based heavyweight, was well known for dragging his rivals into raw encounters that tested the durability of bruised limbs as well as his refined boxing skills. He was a risky opponent, but always ready.
“I met Eddie at the beginning of September,” recalls Christian Cherchi, who had promoted Takam.
“I wasn’t so sure about Pulev and we decided to have Takam start training to be the substitute, or else he will fight on the card.”
Hearn hoped Takam could show up on a glitzy night in Monaco a few weeks later instead of trading fierce blows with his world champion on a raucous night in Wales.
However, promoter Kalle Sauerland had to inform Pulev that his shot at the mandatory IBF title was canceled, less than a fortnight before fight night. A shoulder injury had ruined three years of restoration work after his lone loss to Wladimir Klitschko.
Pulev had defeated Derek Chisora on his way to an IBF title shot
“I remember exactly how I got the news. I was in London. I walked into a hotel lobby for a meeting and couldn’t cancel it.
“I just got the call. I couldn’t say a word about it, of course.
“Then I spoke to Kubrat and he said, ‘I don’t agree with what the doctor says.’ I said, ‘Kubrat, it looks like you’ve torn your shoulder, I really don’t know what’s up [to do], ‘and was gutted.
“He had a long camp and I think he went to see Rafael Nadal’s shoulder specialist in Spain afterwards. It was a horrible injury.
“He had rebuilt himself, done everything right and was in a good place. Unfortunately, those things happen in sports and that’s what it is.”
Carlos Takam vowed to snatch world titles from Joshua
Cherchi gave little thought to the initial message he received from Hearn about Takam.
“When Eddie texted me, I thought about the fight on the card.
“After five minutes, he called me and said ‘No, Pulev is gone, Takam will fight Joshua.’
Frantic attempts to groom Takam were hampered by the absence of his coach, who was in Japan with another fighter.
“It was like in the middle of a storm,” Cherchi said. “We were surprised by the opportunity.
“It was in the middle of the night in Japan. We called an assistant and said ‘Go and wake up Joseph Germain’.
“He said ‘No, he’s sleeping.’
“I don’t care if he’s sleeping, go and wake him up.
“We talked to him and said, ‘Listen, Pulev is injured, Takam will fight for the heavyweight championship. Now we will book a new flight, you have to go back.’
The British heavyweight admitted his reputation was at risk
Joshua had prophetically recognized Takam’s threat, long before his first professional loss was inflicted by Andy Ruiz Jr, another late replacement.
He had said Sky sports: “In boxing, I think it’s a relentless sport in the sense that if Takam beats me, that loss will remain on my record for life. That will always be in my legacy.
“It’s not, ‘oh, he was a world champion and he did well in the sport of boxing. No, no, no, he was 19-1, that’s Anthony’s legacy,’ and I just don’t want that blemish on my record. right now.”
Takam seemed almost taken aback by an impending battle for the WBA and IBF belts.
“I don’t know if I’m excited, stressed or confused, but I’m definitely ready for the fight. It will be a proper fight,” Takam said. Sky Sports.
“AJ is a good boxer who likes to box and I like opponents who like to get ahead and throw punches. I like to get caught too.”
Joshua went head-to-head with Takam at the weigh-in
Takam didn’t have enough time to craft an elaborate game plan, preferring instead to pummel Joshua with whatever part of his body was within striking distance.
A clash of heads left Joshua gasping for air in the second round, trying to control his breathing through his bloody nose.
Takam received a large cut over his right eye as well and was sent to the mat by a predator Joshua’s right hand.
An uppercut staggered Takam in the sixth and a straight forehand sent him staggering to the ropes in the 10th, prompting referee Phil Edwards to quickly intervene.
Joshua stopped Takam to retain his titles
Takam and Cherchi weren’t happy at all with the hasty timing of the interruption, which was met with disapproval from the crowd.
“I have no control over the referee’s decision,” Joshua said. “It was a good fight until the referee stopped it. I have the utmost respect for Takam.
“Imagine if it’s broken [his nose] and he couldn’t breathe and he started catching up in the middle rounds? It would have been a disaster so I stayed calm. “
Joshua had averted another potential crisis, while for Pulev, ‘what if’ turns into ‘what now’, when the first bell rings at Wembley SSE Arena this weekend.
AJ had to explain the end of the fight.
“Pulev is a brave fighter. He doesn’t care about Joshua’s reputation, he won’t freak out, and that’s probably his biggest asset,” Sauerland said.
Hearn, this time around, doesn’t have a backup plan and just hopes Joshua can clear Pulev out of his way, at last.
“This time there is no replacement, but there is also a lot of money in the pot for Kubrat Pulev and there is a great opportunity so he will be there.
“But back then it was crazy times. To be honest with you, even though AJ said he didn’t know what he was doing, we probably didn’t know what we were doing sometimes. You learn and expand and improve, and that’s what he’s done. We have done it, and together we are a well-oiled machine.
“We are a great team and I really believe he is the best heavyweight in the world, and he will continue to prove it.”
Watch Joshua vs Pulev on Saturday, live at 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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