Nigerian-born world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua is facing varying permutations heading into his latest title fight against Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev this Saturday in London, megasportsarena.com reports.
Various previews of the fight noted that Joshua has resisted the urge to say you-know-who’s name all week but there can be no escaping the looming spectre of Tyson Fury – tonight’s world heavyweight championship fight must be a signal from Joshua to Fury about where true supremacy lies.
Joshua puts his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight championships at stake against Pulev with many odds dauting against the Brit, while also knowing that victory alone is not enough to send an emphatic message to Fury.
Joshua must destroy Pulev, make a cruel example of him, to truly state his intentions for WBC champion Fury ahead of their proposed fight next year which would crown the division’s undisputed ruler and become the most compelling boxing match for a generation.
Sky Sports’ senior boxing writer, James Dielhenn added: “This is Joshua’s first fight since the pendulum of public opinion, boxing’s most valuable currency, swung partially in Fury’s favour.
The dismantling of the previously-unbeaten Deontay Wilder was an alarming stamp of authority from Fury – Joshua knows that the gauntlet has been thrown down and the signs suggest that he is ready to respond.
This is a different Joshua to the one of 2019 who overlooked Andy Ruiz Jr towards an undisputed title fight, then spent the rest of the year amending that error. The training, the sparring, the psychology, the mentality has long been overhauled and today he is a newly focused force.
The skirmish with Pulev at the weigh-in was something Joshua needed to spark the fire in his belly – never is he more dangerous than when wound up. It is always a good sign when his ear-to-ear smile disappears.
“People want to see the undisputed championship so I have to fight tough guys like Pulev along the way to get myself in position,” Joshua said without mentioning Fury’s name again.
A dismantling of Pulev tonight would add another crucial chapter to the heavyweight tapestry that is unfolding in this era and would be a savage riposte to claims that Fury is the division’s king.
