Hughie’s in shape of his life for bid at world title shot
HUGHIE Fury has pushed his body harder for longer than at any point in his life as he prepares for his heavyweight bout against Kubrat Pulev in Bulgaria on Saturday night.
The Stockport fighter goes into the IBF world title eliminator on the back of an impressive fifth-round TKO of Sam Sexton in May.
However, it is the controversial loss to former WBO world champion Joseph Parker last year which is keeping Fury motivated and hungry to have another shot at a world title.
“Preparation has been torture in camp but all the hard work’s been done and I’m just looking forward to getting in there and doing the job in front of me,” he said.
“Every camp is different. In this one, I’ve been able to push my body a lot more than I’ve ever been done before.
“Now I’m getting older, I’ll be able to push my body even further.”
Fury knows the importance of the fight. A win against the experienced Bulgarian will make him a mandatory challenger for the IBF world title, held by fellow Brit Anthony Joshua.
A fight with Joshua would likely give Fury the chance to unify the division, if his cousin Tyson fails in his bid to claim the WBC crown from Deontay Wilder.
“I believe Hughie can unify the titles. He’s an exceptional talent and he’s getting better and better all the time,” said his trainer and dad Peter.
“Hughie turned professional at 18 and he’s already 21-1 with the only loss a controversial defeat to a world champion. That’s a statement in itself. He’s an exceptional young man and I believe he’ll unify when he gets the chance.”
This will be no walk in the park for Fury and will be one of his most difficult fights yet against the experienced and tough Pulev.
The Bulgarian was set to fight Joshua in October but was forced to pull out due to injury.
Despite Pulev going into this fight as favourite in his home city of Sofia, Fury is still confident he can get the win and challenge for a world title again.
“It doesn’t bother me, going to his back garden. It doesn’t make any difference. A fight is a fight and I’m looking forward to going there and doing the job,” said Fury.
His father also believes his son can beat the Bulgarian and has reiterated the importance of Fury’s training camp – and believes the rigorous preparation will pay dividends for the Stockport man.
“Hughie’s had a 13-week training camp and he’s ready for anything that Pulev brings. When you’ve had a 13-week camp, you’ve come to the end of the road. This is what camps are like,” said Peter.
“Now, it’s time for him to gain from what he’s achieved over the last three months.”