This afternoon we have Anthony Joshua versus Kubrat Pulev battling for Joshua’s unified heavyweight titles.
The official weigh-in had the two separated after their stare down turned heated, with both men shouting at the other. Security had to separate the two.
????? ??? ???
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 11, 2020
The final Anthony Joshua & Kubrat Pulev face-to-face got HEATED ? pic.twitter.com/s4JI7CX90e
As a long time fan of the sport and understanding the fighters’ ability to want to try and sell their fight, I know this most likely wasn’t real animosity, but I’m going to pretend it was.
It makes everything more fun when you can imagine that two men that genuinely dislike each other are about to step into a ring and attempt to turn the other’s face into a crimson mess.
Kubrat Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) has only one thing on his mind: becoming a heavyweight champion.
On the other side, Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) may be overlooking his opponent with a possible clash against countrymen, Tyson Fury on the horizon. The same Tyson Fury who just so happens to hold the other major heavyweight title.
How Pulev Can Win
I’m not entirely sure, actually. Outside of catching Joshua with a surprise (which can and has happened before), I can’t see Pulev winning.
He needs to be ultra-aggressive and make Joshua uncomfortable. He needs to get inside and attempt to bully a man that is an inch and a half taller with a two and a half inch reach advantage.
Anthony Joshua is a chiseled looking Adonis, but he’s also very flawed. His chin is suspect, his work rate can leave a lot to be desired, and he can be lazy on defense.
If Pulev can manage to creep into Joshua’s pocket and chip away he can linger around long enough to maybe land that surprise he would need.
How Joshua Can Win
Kubrat Pulev doesn’t have a killer resume, but he has one other five-star opponent, and that was Wladimir Klitschko. In that fight, Pulev took it on the chin excessively on the way to being knocked down four times. The final knockdown laid him out flat, and he was counted out.
I don’t see this fight going any differently.
Prediction
I see Pulev coming at Joshua hard in the first couple of rounds. His singular chance is to land a surprise power shot.
Once Joshua weathers that storm, he’ll begin to wear Pulev down with his size, reach, and strength advantage. At that point, it will only be a matter of time before Joshua puts him down for good, or the ref calls an end to the action.
Joshua via TKO, Seventh Round.
The Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev fight card begins at 1 pm ET and can be seen on DAZN.
If you have any thoughts on Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev (or well, for anything really I’m not picky), you can share them with me on Twitter @WilliamFKing. Looking for more Will King? I’m right here!
