IT’S not been an easy year for Kubrat Pulev. He was due to box unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in October as the mandatory IBF challenger. But injury forced him out of the contest. He now needs to fight his way back to the top of the rankings. But it has been a frustrating wait so far as he’s missed out on further opportunities.
He came close to getting a fight with highly rated Dillian Whyte. However the Briton, a former Anthony Joshua opponent, opted to meet Joseph Parker at the O2 on July 28.
American contender Jarrell Miller was in the frame for Pulev but that prospect fell through as Miller turned down the fight.
But now Hughie Fury is in the frame for Pulev. “It looks that way,” promoter Nisse Sauerland tells Boxing News. “He’s next on the list.”
Fury became the British heavyweight champion when he halted Sam Sexton in May. Fury is a former world title challenger, who lost to Joseph Parker in Manchester last year. His team have expressed little enthusiasm for staying at British level to defend the title but wanted to move back up the world rankings. Pulev would be a hard fight but would present them the opportunity to do just that.
