By Daily Sports on September 13, 2017
IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev (25-1, 13 KOs) says he’s going to knockout IBF/WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs) in their fight next month on October 28 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
This is the first of 3 very difficult fights that the 27-year-old Joshua will be facing for him to keep his 2 world titles and to capture additional heavyweight straps.
The idea is for Joshua to fight Pulev, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz and then WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder. If Joshua is still a world champion at that point, then he’ll likely face the winner of the Joseph Parker vs. Hughie Fury fight for the WBO heavyweight title. That would be the last world title not in Joshua’s collection.
Pulev, 36, say Joshua’s fight against Wladimir Klitschko on April 29, and he saw it as a fight that both guys had equal chances to win during the match.
“He won a good fight against Wladimir,” said Pulev to IFL TV. “However, they both had equal chances. If it was me and I was in Klitschko’s shoes, I would have taken the challenge,” said Pulev about the rematch with Joshua that Wladimir elected not to take.
“However, I wasn’t surprised, because I know the way he thinks, Klitschko, and he wasn’t geared up. Psychologically he wasn’t ready.”
”I believe it. I believe I win,” said Pulev in initially saying he’ll knockout Joshua. “I don’t know how, but I believe I win.”
Pulev’s promoter Kalle Sauerland believes his fighter has the talent to send Joshua down to his first defeat of his 4-year pro career when the two giant heavyweights face each other on October 28.
“Look at the people he has defeated – [Alexander] Dimitrenko, Tony Thompson, [Alexander] Ustinov, all guys who are at the peak of their careers when he fought them,” Sauerland said to skysports.com.
”Anthony Joshua, great champion, but as he says himself learning on the job. You don’t want to face a guy like Kubrat Pulev at that time.”
•Photo shows Kubrat Pulev.
Source Daily Sports
Posted September 13, 2017
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