This Saturday, the WBA/ WBO/ IBF Heavyweight champion of the world makes his return to the ring. After a delay consisting of a knee injury, and other Covid-related factors, Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) will fulfill his IBF-mandated title defense rugged veteran, Kubrat Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs.)
Joshua has been out of the ring for a year. In his last fight, he avenged his lone defeat against Andy Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs.) That night in Saudi Arabia saw a new and evolved AJ. He had shaved ten pounds off of his already-chiseled physique and, aided by the 15 pounds Ruiz saw fit to gain, won a virtual shutout.
It’s easy to discount Joshua for the upset loss on his resume, but it must be remembered that only the greats avenge those losses. Though he couldn’t stop Ruiz, he comprehensively outboxed the man who had only previously lost in a championship fight.
Kubrat Pulev has been the mandatory challenger to AJ for a good while. He’s as worthy as mandatory challengers come, as his only loss came at the hands of future Hall-of-Famer Wladimir Klitschko (64-5, 53 KOs,) six years ago. Pulev, playing the role of the brash up-and-comer, seemed to rankle Wlad during the buildup to their bout.
His attitude translated to the fight itself, where he attacked with reckless abandon, and barely missed the champion with haymakers on a few occasions. In the most emphatic win of the nine-year champion’s later career, Pulev was done in five rounds. The finisher was a rocket left hook from Klitschko, which left the Bulgarian flat on his back.
Kubrat Pulev can fight. The unfortunate nature of boxing politics means that mandatory challengers are too often overlooked. Yes, he should almost definitely lose on Saturday. No, it will not be a boring fight, for as long as it lasts.
At 39 years of age, Pulev will not get another title shot after this. As he did against Klitschko, he will throw everything but the kitchen sink at Joshua. Dirty tactics on the inside, leaping punches from the outside, and everything in between.
This bout looks to be a textbook set up to an undisputed title fight between Joshua and current Ring/ WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) over the summer. Given that potential blockbuster event, one would be hard-pressed to find someone outside of Bulgaria who is rooting for Pulev this weekend.
It could be an interesting matchup, considering the styles involved. Pulev very much fits the mold of the straight up-and-down Eastern European fighter. Not much elasticity of head movement or any unnecessary motion. What he lacks in creative flair, he more than makes up for in technical proficiency and solid fundamentals. He methodically breaks down opponents when he has a clear technical advantage.
As was the case against Klitschko, Pulev will not have a technical advantage over Anthony Joshua. In his development as a fighter and champion, AJ has shown proficiency in all facets of the game. He can box his way to victory against world class opposition, as he did to Joseph Parker (27-2, 21 KOs.) Or, he can hunt less willing opponents down and beat them even further into submission – just ask Dominic Breazeale (20-2, 18 KOs.)
If Pulev’s tactics against Klitschko are any indicator, Joshua may have to somewhat duplicate his win over Carlos Takam (39-5-1, 28 KOs) in 2017. Takam knew he was out-gunned and technically outmatched, so he bull-rushed the champion at times. This resulted in some success in landing body shots, and created a clash of heads, which broke Joshua’s nose in round two. Still, AJ stayed the course, and stopped Takam late, albeit controversially.
In his lone loss to Ruiz last year, Joshua showed a weakness for getting caught during exchanges. A flaw that, if not fixed, could pose a problem in this, or any matchup. It was more a question of strategy than any physical flaw or mental weakness. He underestimated a wounded opponent, and went in for the kill too soon – a mistake we will not likely see twice from a fighter of his ilk.
Pulev’s aggression and willingness to engage will make this an entertaining heavyweight title affair, but AJ should be well within his depth and take care of business with only routine damage, if any.
