Joshua victory key to heavyweight unification
Kiwi champ Joseph Parker could take on Anthony Joshua again — but the towering Brit says he would knock Parker out.
HEAVYWEIGHT champion Anthony Joshua and challenger Kubrat Pulev jawed at each other through black face masks yesterday on the eve of their title fight at Wembley Arena.
Joshua pointed a finger in Pulev’s face as they exchanged words, while beefy security guards kept the peace during their weigh-in for today’s bout.
The Bulgarian challenger will fight at his lightest weight (108 kilograms) in 11 years.
The 31-year-old Joshua will be lean as well after weighing in at 109kg. That’s slightly heavier than his last fight, but still the second-lightest he’s fought at in six years.
Pulev appears to be the only hurdle Joshua needs to clear before a shot at being the undisputed world heavyweight champion.
Joshua holds the WBA, IBF, WBObelts. An agreement in principle has been reached with Tyson Fury, the WBCchampion, for a two-fight deal in 2021 to unify the titles in an all-British blockbuster. Awin for Joshua would hopefully lead to a unification bout and give the heavyweight division a first unified champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
In the mix to spoil that plan is New Zealand’s formerWBO champion Joseph Parker, who is set to fight Junior Fa in
February or March 2021.
The 28-year-old came up short against Joshua in 2018, although he remains the only man ‘AJ’ has failed to drop in 22 fights.
Speaking exclusively to Newshub, Joshua says he holds huge respect for Parker and wouldn’t be shocked to see him earn another title title shot within the next 12 months.
But Joshua says the outcome would be the same— just more violent.
‘‘I like Joseph— he’s a good man, ‘‘ Joshua said. ‘‘That was a technical fight, where I wanted to show off my boxing skills and I never quite created the opportunity to ‘sleep’ him.
‘‘He has a great team behind him over there and he’s dangerous and super quick, but if we fought again, I would knock him out.
‘‘But much respect to Joe and I hope I will see him again soon.’’
Before that, though, Joshua must overcome the stiff challenge of Pulev, who has just one defeat in 29 fights.
That came in 2014 against Wladimir Klitschko and since then, the 39-year-old has won eight straight fights, beating contenders Hughie Fury, Derek Chisora and Kevin Johnson.
Joshua is well aware of the challenge before him, but plans on leaving London as he entered — the champion.
‘‘I want to be the unified champion and to do that I have to beat Kubrat. This is a tough fight — he’s lost once in 11 years and beaten some top guys.
‘‘But I’ve made a lot of changes— both mentally and physically — since New York [loss to Andy Ruiz] and I feel very confident that I will get the job done.’’
After that, Joshua hopes to fight Fury, but the murky waters of the heavyweight division are likely to throw up another curveball or two. Regardless, Joshua’s focus is simple - to be the best.
‘‘That fight [Fury] will be the biggest in the history of UK boxing,’’ Joshua said. ‘‘It will be big all over the world, butwe both have to keepwinning to make it happen.
‘‘I want to fight Tyson and I’m pretty sure he wants to fight me, so we will see what happens.
‘‘The boxing world needs an undisputed heavyweight champion.’’
Promoter Eddie Hearn relayed some of the face-to-face exchange with Pulev yesterday.
‘‘Pulev said, ‘You’re nothing. I’m better than you,’’’ Hearn said. ‘‘AJ said, ‘Who have you beaten?’ Pulev said, ‘I’ll end you’.’’
Joshua later told Sky Sports: ‘‘I would have clapped him on his jaw ... but I have to wait ’til tomorrow.’’
Joshua has become used to selling out Britain’s biggest sports venues, but only 1000 fans will be allowed in Wembley Arena for his first home fight since knocking out Alexander Povetkin in September 2018.
It will be the 39-year-old Pulev’s second world title fight — he lost to Wladimir Klitschko in 2014 for what remains his only professional defeat — and a belated shot at Joshua, having been forced to pull out of a 2017 fight against the Briton after sustaining a shoulder injury.