MICHAEL Hunter’s next opponent appears to have been finally nailed down after a sizeable purse bid victory for Don King secured the bout. The lesser-spotted heavyweight contender has been putting his name out there of late.
First, claiming he only wants a clash with heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk (who defeated Hunter in a 2017 cruiserweight meeting), before then turning his attention to Fabio Wardley, with ‘The Bounty’ claiming that he would be happy travelling to Portman Road, Ipswich.
It was at that venue where Wardley was last seen bouncing Justis Huni off the canvas with a come-from-behind KO. If Hunter can get past Pulev, then the Wardley clash remains an option, as both would hold WBA belts (Wardley is the Interim champion).
A fight with the 44-year-old Bulgarian has edged one step closer after veteran promoter King won the purse bids, shelling out a hefty $1.1 million for the rights. Clearly enjoying his moment, King declared “all systems go” for the title fight.
“Yesterday Don King and Noel Mikaelian slammed Jake Paul and today the great Michael Hunter and Don King are in the process of slamming Epic Sports and Entertainment and bringing boxing back to we the people,” hollored King, who delighted in getting one over on Pulev’s representatives.
“Michael Hunter and I are inseparable. He is excited about being in the United Kingdom for the fight this week [Usyk-Dubois 2] and he’ll continue to train and get ready to knock out Pulev.
“He’s been working hard to prepare for this important fight of his career and he’s looking forward to what follows as well. He’s ready to prove to the world that he is the true heavyweight champion. Let’s make it happen.”
Even though he may not be the “true” heavyweight champion, as that status unequivocally lies with Usyk for the time being, Hunter, 24-1-2 (17 KOs), is a solid contender. The Californian won the vacant WBA Gold heavyweight title in June by defeating Cassius Chaney in a 12-round unanimous decision.
While the Usyk fight seems a way off given their respective trajectories, the Ukrainian remains the only man to beat Hunter in the pro ranks.
