By Charles Brun: Kubrat Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) guarantees a win this Saturday night against IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on December 12th.
Pulev says he’ll be doing the world a favor by defeating the 30-year-old Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs), who he views as an utterly flawed champion that is ready to be unseated.
Pulev, 6’4 1/2″, has never been considered a big puncher during his 11-year professional career, but he says he’s now punching with more power, and he feels stronger than ever.
If this is true, Joshua could be in for an ordeal on Saturday night when he gets in there with big Bulgarian Pulev.
Joshua needs a win over Pulev, 39, to advance to a unification fight against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in 2021. AJ is taking a risk in facing Pulev before the Fury fight, as he’s got a lot to lose.
The money that Joshua will make against Fury will be a fortune, and all that gold bullion will be lost if Pulev scorches him.
Pulev expects to beat Joshua
“After the win, I’m going to be really, really happy,” said Kubrat Pulev to Matchroom Boxing. “This fight for me is for all Bulgarian sports boxing. Nobody was the heavyweight champion of the world, and that’s why for me, it’ll be really good.
“I will be absolutely different because I have a lot of experience from that fight, and now I will be a new Kubrat Pulev,” said Pulev when asked how he’s different from the fighter from the one that was knocked out by Wladimir Klitschko in 2014.
“I can’t say it’s the final fight for me. No, no, no,” Pulev said. “I feel good, I feel healthy, I feel happy, and I feel strong. And I have a lot of energy and much power. I think after this fight, I’m going to fight with Tyson Fury.
“We’ll be good. I think we’ll see; I don’t know,” Kubrat said when asked what type of Joshua we’ll see on Saturday night. “It’s not important to me. What’s more important is how I am on Saturday,” said Pulev.
As you can see, Pulev is already seeing himself beating the brakes off Joshua, and it’s understandable why. Pulev and his team have researched Joshua’s past fights, and they see his game being riddled with holes.
That might explain why the huge 267lb Andy Ruiz Jr was able to KO Joshua in their first fight last year.
Kubrat vows to prevent Joshua vs. Fury
“When I’m good, I beat him very good. I think I’m really good, strong, and with a lot of power,” Pulev said. “I have much power; I’m very strong now.
“That was my father’s dream, and that’s why me and my brother are here. His dream was to have sons, and boys that would be boxing champions. We are now real; we are now facts.
“He looks from up, and I’m sure he’s happy, and he wants to win on Saturday night with me together. I don’t know, we will be a good fight,” Kubrat said when asked if Joshua is possibly looking past him towards a fight against Tyson Fury.
“But I don’t believe that fight is going to happen because I win on Saturday. We see a lot of mistakes from Anthony and a lot of bad sides.
“I think this mistake bad side will stay, and I will take, and I will be good. It doesn’t matter to me,” said Pulev when asked if the 1000 fans in attendance on Saturday will motivate Joshua.
What Pulev doesn’t understand is there’s a rematch clause in the contract for his fight against Joshua, which means if he beats AJ, there’s going to be an immediate rematch.
So the only way that Pulev will get a chance to fight Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) is if he beats Joshua twice in a row.
Pulev: The world needs a new champion
“What’s important is what I do in the ring, and how I prepare and how my strategy and how my boxing,” Pulev continued. “This is my boxing; it’s most important.
“Maybe not so difficult [a fight for Joshua], but maybe difficult, yeah. I said this would be for me; this will be a big thing [if Pulev wins] because I will be happy for the people.
“I think the world needs a new world champion like me. Good brutally,” said Pulev when asked how the fight with Joshua will go on Saturday night.
“I am the new world champion; I’m coming,” Pulev said in giving Joshua his message.
“And I think it’s going to be back and forward for the first five or six rounds, and then I think AJ is going to mark him up and bash him up,” said Eddie Hearn. “I think he’s going to knock him out. It’s going to be a great performance from AJ.
“This is one of the most important fights I’ve been involved with because we know what’s coming at the end of it. We just got to win on Saturday.
“Everyone is nervous in the camp, AJ included. He feels the pressure, which is great news by the way for him,” said Hearn.
It wouldn’t hurt if the world got a new heavyweight champion like Pulev because Joshua is on the dull side.
During the brief spell that Andy Ruiz Jr held the IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight titles, it was like a shot in the arm for boxing.
Ruiz Jr was a lot more entertaining than Joshua, who has kind of a wooden personality.
If Pulev beat Joshua on Saturday, he could make a lot of entertainment for fans because he’s got much more charisma than Joshua, who is arguably the most boring heavyweight champion the sport has had in ages.
I mean, Pulev is obviously hard to understand when he speaks English, but he’s got charisma, and he’s brutally honest.
Hearn predicting a knockout for Joshua
“No one really knows what to expect,” Hearn continued. “Pulev, you can’t say he’s an unknown quantity because he’s been around for a long time, and he’s been a solid top 10 heavyweight guy for years and years.
“He is good and 1000 fans, do you know what I mean? Everything is a bit weird. Normally, we go into an AJ fight week, and you’ve got a sold-out arena, it could be Wembley, it could be wherever.
“You kind of know what you’re going to get. You’re going to get madness. There are nerves for me, for AJ, and for the camp, and I think that’s good. We got a real fight.
“This isn’t a guy that has been hand-picked out of the top 20. This is a guy, if AJ is going to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, he should be beating, and he should be breaking him down and beating him up.
“You will get a masterclass knockout performance from Anthony Joshua on Saturday, and I believe he will, and I believe it’ll be tough. I’d rather not go for a rematch.
“I want to win in style, and then face Tyson Fury. Pulev wants the rematch because he’ll make an absolute fortune like Andy Ruiz.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a DAZN guest or he’ll be a Sky guest,” said Hearn when asked if Tyson Fury will be attending the fight.
“I’ll certainly be reaching out if he’s not asking if he wants to come. This fight [Joshua vs. Pulev in 2021] is on, as far as I’m concerned.
“Maybe Fury doesn’t need to watch Joshua up close. I would if I were him. He’s more than welcome,” said Hearn.
What a great story Pulev has about his late dad wanting him to win a world title. This would be a big deal if Pulev can fulfill his father’s dream for him on Saturday against AJ.