By Gabriel Princewill-
Anthony Joshua will fight Kubrat Pulev next, according to Linzey Tucker, the IBF chairman.
”Anthony Joshua will fight Kubrat Pulev next because he is the mandatory challenger”, Tucker told the eye of media.com. However, he has the option of taking another fight, but I believe he will fight Pulev next
OPTIONS
Elaborating on his point, Tucker explained: ”All of our Champions have 3 options when it comes to doing the mandatory defence. ”They can either fight the Mandatory challenger, or they can ask to fight a Unification bout against the WBA, WBC or WBO Champion. The Unification[option] takes priority over the mandatory”, he emphasised.
”They can alternatively ask for ”an Exception’, to fight some else in the top 15 other than the mandatory challenger”, the IBF chief explained. Tucker added that the option of an ‘exception’, is tied to the condition that the winner fights the mandatory challenger in his next fight within 90 or 120 days”. Joshua was initially mandated to fight unbeaten Australian heavy hitter, Joseph Parker, but opted for a fight against Wladimir Klitschko, after Tyson Fury pulled out of the fight.
With Klitschko reportedly preferring to fight for the belts he lost, rather than the fringe IBF belt picked up by the explosive Anthony Joshua, both Joshua and Klitschko are now without opponents. This keeps the possibility of a fight between them still possible in theory, but improbable in practice since Klitschko doesn’t want the fight. The former world reigning champion may still be coerced into the fight, if Eddie Hearns is still working overtime to make it happen.
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Hearn has been looking at other options that include Eric Molina, the tough Polish heavyweight who gave WBC heavyweight champion Deontey Wilder, a tough fight for 9 rounds before being brutally knocked out by the heavy-handed American. 6 ft 7 inched David Price, has also expressed an interest in meeting Joshua for the IBF title. Price is a heavy hitter with explosive power too. His only three losses are to drug cheats, so in effect, David Price has never been legitimately beaten in the ring. A fight between Joshua and Price will be big and sell well, but will it be bigger than Joshua’s current mandatory against Pulev?
Boxing fans cannot be kept waiting much longer. unless the excellently built Joshua takes on a big name that will be more lucrative than his mandatory, it will not be a good look for two mandatory fights not to be taken up by Britain’s brightest boxing star. Joshua is booked to face an unnamed opponent on December 10, in 6 weeks time. His opponent needs ample notice to prepare. Boxing fans can’t be kept waiting much longer, Fury has already wasted everybody’s time for the past year.
IBF BELT
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Joshua won the IBF belt after a- quick two rounds knock- out of American Charles Martin in April, and was originally scheduled to defend his IBF belt against mandatory challenger, Australian Joseph Parker, as stated earlier. However, with Fury’s withdrawal from his rematch with Wladimir Klitschko, originally scheduled for October 29th(next weekend) Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, immediately pushed for a fight between Joshua and Klitschko. A lot of interest was automatically built up as a result.
MESS
Klitschko may yet change his mind, but It makes the heavyweight championship situation look a bit of a mess with both Joshua and Klitschko without opponents at the moment, and the chances of the pair meeting immediately looking slim. Unless Klitschko fights Joshua, the former world champion will be fighting for just one belt, when he could at least have fought Parker for both the WBO and the WBA belts. If he did not want to fight a dangerous upcoming prospect like Joshua for the lighter regarded IBF belt.
Unless Klitschko fights Joshua for the IBF and the WBA belts, the former world champion will be fighting for just one belt if he goes for the WBA belt, when he could at least have fought Parker for both the WBO and the WBA belts. Klitschko is in a bit of an awkward position right now, and Joshua’s team may still be adding the pressure, in the hope that Klitschko changes his mind. How did this sorry state of affairs come about?
Tucker further explained ”Klitschko was counting on the WBA to sanction that(Joshua) fight as the WBA Heavyweight Championship fight. In the mean time Joseph Parker who had already beat Carlos Takam in an IBF-sanctioned Eliminator to become #1 and the mandatory challenger, assumed Joshua was going to fight Klitschko first, decided not to wait and since he was #1 in the WBO, agreed to fight Juan Ruiz for the vacant WBO Title. Now that Parker is Unavailable, #2 Kubrat Pulev is the mandatory challenger for Joshua”.
MANDATORY
IBF champions have 9 months to defend the IBF belt against the mandatory challenger and can seek an optional defence in the interim period. This gives Joshua until January 2017 to seek an optional defence instead of face his next mandatory opponent, unbeaten, Kubrat Pulev.
However, now that Joshua will not face his previous mandatory challenger , he cannot justifiably skip Pulev in search for another fight, if the Klitschko fight is truly off. Joshua has always expressed his readiness to face anybody, and this is a refreshing stance for a heavyweight today to have. Boxing fans want a legitimate champion. Promoter Eddie Hearns is stirring Joshua’s career and has every reason to be proud so far. However, he can’t keep fans waiting any longer. Tyson Fury has wasted everybody’s time for the past year. Fans want to know who Anthony Joshua will fight next. ”I believe it will be Pulev, Tucker said, almost assuringly. We can’t stop him going elsewhere to fight, but Pulev is the mandatory challenger he should fight next if the Klitschko fight is not happening”, Tucker said.
The apparent disappearance of the Joshua-Klitschko fight, has taken the celebrated Londoner back to square one, to face his mandatory opponent. Kubrat Pulev’s European belt will only serve to highlight his credentials but will be no prize for Joshua in victory. Victory for Joshua will keep Joshua’s dream and his following alive, adding valued experience to his arsenal.
ANTICIPATION
Anticipation was high for a Klitschko v Joshua clash, though returning from a loss from Fury, to then fight Joshua, was probably not an ideal route back for Klitschko. It would be an intriguing clash, pitting a man with momentum on his side, against an arguably declining champion who was intent on avenging his loss. Klitschko would have been a potentially dangerous opponent for Joshua, but the odds would still have been stacked against Klitschko. Tucker concurred with the importance of a unification fight happening sooner rather than later. ‘I’m sure the other champions will fight each other down the line next year, Tucker added. We hope they do too, it seems a long wait for what should be happening now.
The anticipation has significantly dampened, with the prospect of the fight still looking bleak. Tucker concurred with the importance of a unification fight occurring in the heavyweight division. ‘I’m sure the other champions will fight each other down the line next year”, Tucker added. We hope they do too, but it seems a long wait for what should be happening now.
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