By Tim Royner: Kubrat Pulev says Anthony Joshua WON’T be facing Tyson Fury next because he’s under contract to face him next. Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) will need to be compensated if IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) chooses to bypass his mandated title defense against IBF mandatory Pulev to face WBC champ Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) next.
All the talk of Joshua and Fury supposedly being in negotiations is hot air and wishful thinking. Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has already said there no negotiations taking place for Joshua to face Fury next.
Additionally, Fury’s promoter Bob Arum has come out and said the same thing. Joshua has a contract to fight Pulev, who Arum promotes as well, and that’s the fight that’s going to happen.
Joshua CAN’T fight Fury while under contract for Pulev
“I’ll be happy to face him after I beat Joshua,” said Pulev on a fight with Fury. Fighting with Fury would be a great challenge for me. He [Joshua] can’t face Fury because he has signed a contract to fight me.
Besides, in this same contract, there are clauses featuring some serious compensations. Fury has a contract for a third fight with Deontay Wilder.
“Neither I nor Wilder will give up on these fights. I will come up against Joshua and I will beat him!
If Hearn and Matchroom want Pulev and Deontay Wilder to both steps aside so that we can see the Joshua vs. Fury fight in 2020, they’re going to need to come up with a great deal of money to make that happen.
Given the circumstances at present time with boxing fans not being allowed to attend live events, it’s not going to be possible to come up with the money to pay Deontay and Kubrat step aside money. Also, Joshua vs. Fury fight won’t bring in massive money if it takes place behind closed doors. The fight will need to take place in front of fans, and that’s not going to happen right now.
UK fans also want the Joshua-Fury fight to take place in Britain, and that’s probably not going to happen either if the match takes place in 2020. There are too many things working against that happening. These issues that could stop that from happening:
- UK government won’t allow crowds
- Fans will be afraid to attend a live event
- Lack of money. Fans haven’t been working and won’t have the extra spending revenue to purchase the expensive tickets to see Joshua vs. Pulev
Fans will be hesitant about attending a live event
“When boxing does come back, it comes back with a plethora of live sport, presumably at the same time,” said Hearn to IFL TV. “Therefore, only the big ones will get their [the fans] attention because it’s going to be a competitive market. Plus, there’s going to be a reticence of people to attend a live sport.
“Whether we like it or not, I think people will be reticent to attend a live sporting event, possibly for the remainder of the year. What this means is bigger events will be easier to pull together than smaller events.
“In boxing, it’s going to be easier to arrange the big showdown fights. Of course, Tyson Fury and Joshua come into that category. With the restrictions on travel, that’s another thing that could slow down the sport if you can’t travel.
“No one is going to go watch Joshua and Fury fight anywhere in the world if they have a lockdown in the country the fight is being staged at. So there are going to be a lot of complications. Tyson Fury and Joshua rewrite the rules.”
It would be a REALLY bad idea if Matchroom rushed to make the Fury vs. Joshua fight in 2020. Hearn commented on that recently, saying that the fight will make a lot more money in 2021. But the fans don’t want to wait, and they’re pushing for Pulev and Wilder to both step aside so that Joshua can face Fury in 2020.
