It’s looking more and more as if Anthony Joshua will fight Kubrat Pulev next.
Joshua, who holds three of the four major heavyweight titles, and IBF mandatory Pulev reportedly have set a deadline to make a deal.
An IBF spokesperson told Sky Sports, “I have just been told that the Pulev and Joshua camps have asked until January 31 to negotiate.”
Joshua was ordered by both the IBF and WBO, whose titleholder is Oleksandr Usyk, to face his mandatory challengers immediately. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, has been working with the organizations to come up with a solution that would allow Joshua to keep both belts.
In that process, Pulev seems to have emerge as the favorite to challenge for a title next.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk, the former cruiserweight champion, reportedly has been offered a fight against longtime contender Dereck Chisora in London. Usyk presumably would fight Joshua if he beats Chisora and Joshua does the same against Pulev, although a lucrative showdown with the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury II winner looms.
Hearn said the working date for Usyk-Chisora in March 28.
Another possibility is that Joshua is forced to vacate the WBO title. Usyk could then face No. 2-ranked Joseph Parker for the vacant title.
Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) lost to Wladimir Klitschko by a fifth-round knockout in 2014, his only title shot. The 38-year-old Bulgarian was scheduled to challenge Joshua in 2017 but had to pull out because of an injury. He regained his mandatory status by outpointing Hughie Fury in 2018.
Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) defeated Andy Ruiz Jr. by a wide decision on Dec. 7 to regain the titles Ruiz took from him by knockout in June.
