Hughie Fury wants to show that he belongs at world level by “doing a job” on Mariusz Wach when he collides with the former World Title challenger on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev at The SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday December 12, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories on its just-launched Global platform.

The only defeats on Fury’s 27 fight slate came at world level – a majority 12 round decision dropped in a close and controversial WBO World Title challenge to New Zealand’s Joseph Parker in 2017, a gallant and gory 12 round points loss to Pulev in an IBF Final Eliminator in Sofia and a points loss to Alexander Povetkin last summer.

At just 26, Fury believes that his best years are ahead of him, and the Manchester contender is confident that there’s still plenty of time left to mount a fresh assault at world honours. Polish veteran Wach took Dillian Whyte the distance in Saudi Arabia a year ago, and Fury knows the former World Title challenger still has plenty to offer. 

“He’s a tough man Mariusz Wach,” said Fury. “He’s been in with some great fighters, pretty much everyone, including a World Title challenge. I’m looking forward to doing a job on him. This is definitely one not to miss. It’s been a while and I’m ready to show what I’m all about. 

“Wach brings power and size, you can’t switch off for a second. I want these kind of fights as these fights will help me achieve what I need in boxing. I’m expecting a tough fight with Wach. I’ve seen a few of his fights and we’ve done our studying, training and sparring. 

“I’m ready for all the serious fights out there, I’ve had vast experience and I belong on the world level. I expect to be knocking on the door for another shot at world honours again very soon. I’ve been living in the gym, working on a lot of different aspects of my game, perfecting what I needed to do. 

“Everything happens for a reason. You’ve just got to stay patient and fight whoever they put in front of you. Boxing is about learning and taking fights. If you believe that you are the best, then you will take on anyone and everyone.”

Fury vs. Wach is part of a huge night of action in London, Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) defends his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World Titles against Mandatory Challenger KubratPulev (28-1, 14 KOs), Martin Bakole (15-1, 12 KOs) and Sergey Kuzmin (15-1, 11 KOs) fight for the vacant WBC International Heavyweight Title, Hackney Cruiserweight Lawrence Okolie (14-0, 11 KOs) returns to action and Leeds Super-Bantamweight Qais Ashfaq (8-1, 3 KOs) looks to return to winning ways against Ashley Lane (14-9-2, 1 KO), with more fights confirmed tomorrow. 

Eddie Hearn:

“We’re back in the bubble for a big night of boxing this Friday, the World Super-Middleweight Championship between Billy Joe Saunders and Martin Murray, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN around the world. It’s great to be here. We’ve been lifted by the news that fans will return for the Anthony Joshua versus Kubrat Pulev fight on December 12. 1,000 allowed into The SSE Arena, Wembley for that, so this effectively, touch wood, will be our last ever show, we hope, behind closed doors. We’re ready to make the most of it, and ready for a great night of boxing.”

Billy Joe Saunders – Hatfield, England – 29-0, 14 KOs – defending his WBO Super-Middleweight World Title against Martin Murray:

“First of all I’ve got to thank yourself and Sky for even getting us out this year. I didn’t think I was going to get out. All of the big fights were tied up, out of the fights that were left out there Martin Murray’s name was screaming out. We were supposed to fight twice before, it didn’t happen. He’s boxed for the World Title four times, he should have been a two-time World Champion, he was on the wrong end of two decisions. 

“People are looking at this fight as a walk in the park for me and think I should win easily. If you look at Martin, he’s never took damage. He’s never been beaten up in a fight. Golovkin was what it was, he got him in his prime. I promised him his shot and it’s here. I believe that it’s my time to shine now. I’m doing this fight for my uncle Tom who passed away who was like a dad to me. 

“I want the Jacobs fights and the Canelo fights and the Andrade fights now, but sadly everyone was tied up this year. The only one really worthy of taking the fight which was available was Martin Murray. He’s a four-time World Title challenger. In my opinion, two-time World Champion, so it’s not a bad pick out of the bunch.”I know Martin is coming to fight. I haven’t been beaten on the UK soil since I’ve been 12-years-old. I’ve got a good track record, and I’m going to keep it that way. He’s going to bring a good game, but afterwards he can go back to St Helens, take his cash back and have a good Christmas and retire with the family, because that’s what I’m planning on doing, retiring him.”

Martin Murray – St Helens, England – 39-5-1, 17 KOs – challenging Billy Joe Saunders for the WBO Super-Middleweight World Title:

“This is my fifth one now. I know how hard a fight it’s going to be. I really rate Billy Joe. We’ve got unfinished business. Everything happens for a reason. I firmly believe, and truly believe that the pull outs years ago, all of the little set backs that I’ve had, have all brought me to this point and like I said, I’m fit, focused and ready. 

“I get it, I get why he pulled out to be honest with you. We all want those bigger fights. It makes sense. There was a little bit of frustration at the time but I left that where it was and I’ve got nothing against Billy. We shook hands when I got beat in my fight against N’Dam, he was on the card with me. He’s here now and he’s honoured his word. He’s going to be in top condition himself and we’re going to lay it all on the line. It’s going to be a good fight.

“No one has ever done it in five times in the UK. I believe Groves four, Frank Bruno four, and I truly believe that there’s been a reason why I’ve picked myself up off the couch when times have been low and I’ve not wanted to go to the gym, but I’ve forced myself to get there. There’s been a reason for it and it’s for Friday. For me to achieve what no-one else has done in the UK.”

James Tennyson – Belfast, Northern Ireland – 27-3, 23 KOs – fighting Josh O’Reilly in an Eliminator for the WBA Lightweight World Title:

“It’s good to hear people saying things like that, it means I’m doing something right. I’m really looking forward to the fight night now. I’m going to put on a masterclass performance in another fan-pleasing fight. I come out every time and I give the fans what they want. I do what I need to do to get the win as well as that. I’m just going to go out and be me, box hard and box smart.”

Josh O’Reilly – Hamilton, Canada – 16-0, 6 KOs – fighting James Tennyson in an Eliminator for the WBA Lightweight World Title:

“I’m super excited. I’ve never been on a stage like this. It’s awesome to get this opportunity. I’m happy to be sharing the ring with James, I think it’s going to be a great fight and I’m looking forward to it. I started boxing when I was 14, I didn’t really do much as an amateur but I got to travel enough with a few teams. I got over to Ireland when I was younger and I have a bunch of people supporting me out in Cavan, I got to train there for a bit. I had a really good time and I trained there for a few months when I was younger. I expect nothing less. I’m a fan, I like watching the kid. I’ve seen him enough and I think there’s a lot of stuff I can do in there to negate a lot of the stuff he does. I’ve got my own plan on what’s going to happen, it’s just about executing it.”

Shannon Courtenay – Watford, England – 5-1, 2 KOs – fighting Dorata Norek in an eight round Super-Bantamweight contest:

“I think there’s nerves with every fight, and coming off a loss I’ve got to prove myself now. Pressure is a privilege. If there’s no pressure then nobody believes in you, so I’m taking it in my stride. I’ve made the choice to move, so I’m now living in a hotel next to my camp. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices but it’s paid off because I’m at 118 for the first time. It’s time to make a statement. 

“I think it would be easy for me to sit here now and say, ‘oh it’s fine’. I’ll be honest. I felt like the floor underneath me had been taken. I felt like my world was over. You’ve got to hit rock bottom to come up again. Now I’ve had that bitter taste of what a loss is like, I’m never going to taste it again. It’s made me more determined. Mentally and physically I’m a lot stronger.”

Dorota Norek – Watford, England – 6-1, 1 KO – fighting Shannon Courtenay in an eight round Super-Bantamweight contest:

“Thank you Eddie, I am very grateful for the opportunity to be here and to participate in such a big event. I love to fight. I’m a fan of Shannon’s. I’ve watched a lot of her fights and I know this will deliver for the fans. I come from the MMA background as you mentioned, so I’m not scared of big boxing gloves. I promise to show my full potential and my aggressive style. I’m here to win.”

Zach Parker – Derby, England – 19-0, 13 KOs – fighting Cesar Nunez for the WBO International Super-Middleweight Title:

“I’ve got to focus on Friday night. He’s going to be a tough opponent. I can’t look too far ahead with this mandatory spot. My full focus is on Friday night and Cesar Nunez. You’ve got to make noise with every fight. That’s why people want to watch you, for the knockouts and the showbiz. Hopefully I can give a good performance and make a big fight next year with Billy Joe or any of the other World Champions. I think Saunders vs. Murray is going to be a good fight. It’s last chance saloon for Martin Murray so we’ll just have to see what version of him turns up. I’m picking Billy Joe on points.”

Cesar Nunez – Pamplona, Spain – 17-2-1, 0 KOs – fighting Zach Parker for the WBO International Super-Middleweight Title:

“First and foremost I would like to thank Matchroom and Sauerland for the opportunity. I’m coming to take this chance and win on Friday night.”

Lerrone Richards – New Malden, England – 13-0, 3 KOs – fighting Timo Laine in an eight round Super-Middleweight contest:

“I’m very happy and excited. Let’s go! There’s no pressure, I just need to do Lerrone Richards. Like I always say, it’s all about the skills. On Friday night you’re going to see that. Timo is a tough competitor. I’m taking him very seriously and I’m going to do a job on Friday night.”

Timo Laine – Helsinki, Finland – 28-14, 12 KOs – fighting Lerrone Richards in an eight round Super-Middleweight contest:

“It’s going to be a hard challenge for me. I’ve seen a couple of Lerrone’s fights and he looks really skilful. I want to say thanks for this opportunity. When the fight starts I have to get going straight away. It’s eight rounds and I have to be fast.”

Lewis Edmondson – Southampton, England – 3-0 – fighting John Telford in a six round Super-Middleweight contest:

“Firstly I’d like to say thank you to Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren. I’m contracted to Frank Warren, I don’t know if anyone knows, but they’ve come together for this one and let me get on the bill, so I’d like to thank them for that. I feel like I’m ready to move forward. I feel like I done well as an amateur, I won National Titles and boxed for England. I feel like that’s helped me. I’ve got great fighters training alongside me like Billy Joe Saunders and a great team around me. I’m looking to move forwards fast. I’ve seen a little bit of John. I’m 25 and I don’t want to wait around too long, I want to get in the mix.”

John Telford – Manchester, England – 11-2-1, 2 KOs – fighting Lewis Edmondson in a six round Super-Middleweight contest:

“It’s a big opportunity for myself. We only got a week’s notice but we were already training to box three weeks ago on the Ultimate Boxxer show. That fell through because of my opponent testing positive for COVID. We had a couple of days off then had a call that very weekend asking if we’d be interested on boxing on a Matchroom show. I jumped at the chance. I’ve had a quick look at Lewis, he seems good at what he does. There’s not a lot to look at in his professional career. We’ve seen what he did as an amateur, let’s see how it stands him on the night. Good on him for jumping straight up, there needs to be a lot more of that in the sport now.”

Donte Dixon – Sheffield, England – 4-0, 3 KOs – fighting Angelo Dragone in a six round Featherweight contest:

“I’m looking forward to it and I’m ready to go. All through training everything has gone well. All of my road work has been done and all of my work in the gym has been done. I just can’t wait to fight now. Billy always gets on to you about me and that’s good, I kind of like it because he wants me to get out there so he gives me these opportunities. He knows I can perform. I look forward to putting on a good performance on Friday.

“This is another tough opponent for me but the better they are, the better I’m going to perform. I like that it’s going to be a tough one. I’m happy with my progress right now. I’ve sparred a lot of these guys and I hold my own against them. Right now I’m on the right track. When we get those fights in the future, I’ll do good against them guys.”

Angelo Dragone – Carmarthen, Wales – 5-1 – fighting Donte Dixon in a six round Featherweight contest:

“100% I’m ready for this. I’ve trained really hard, we had a six-week training camp and I’ve trained twice a day every day. I’d just like to thank Matchroom for the opportunity. We’ve seen some upsets over the last few weeks and there’s going to be another upset on Friday night. I’m ready to go. I’m a 30-year-old man, he’s younger, a 20-year-old. All of the hype is around him. I’m an experienced man, I’ve been involved in Title fights on live TV. I’ve been there and I’ve done it. Let’s see if he can beat the stallion. I’ll be on him from the first round to the sixth round. I’m going to set a fast pace, I’m always in battles. I’m going to give 100% to get the win.”

Matchroom Boxing are delighted to announce that 1,000 fans will be in attendance for Anthony Joshua OBE’s defence of his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World Titles against Mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev at The SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday December 12, following approval for a crowd from local authorities. 

Fight fans will have the opportunity to watch unified king Joshua fight on home soil for the first time in over two years, with tickets priced at £100, £200, £300, £500 and £1,000 (VIP) available to purchase via AXS (www.axs.com) and StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk) on Friday December 4 at 10.00am, as spectators are welcomed back to live boxing for the first time since March.

Strict safety measures and guidelines will be in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• The lead booker can only attend with members of their own household (ID including address will be required on entry).
• Matchroom Boxing are participating in the NHS Test and Trace scheme. Lead booker details will be collected and shared for this in line with legal guidelines, and NHS Track & Trace check-in codes will be in place for fans to scan at entrances.
• You must not attend an event if you have tested positive for Covid-19, are required to self-isolate or have suffered from Covid-19 symptoms within 14 days of the event.
• You must wear a face covering at all times during your visit to The SSE Arena, Wembley (if you’re medically able to do so and aged 11+). They can be safely removed when you’re seated to eat or drink.
•  Tickets must not be resold. 
•  No refund policy 

Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) vs. Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) tops a huge night of action in London promoted by Matchroom Boxing in association with Top Rank and Epic Sports and Entertainment, with all of the action shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories on its just-launched Global platform, as Lawrence Okolie (14-0, 11 KOs) takes on Krzysztof Glowacki (31-2, 19 KOs) for the vacant WBO Cruiserweight World Title, Manchester Heavyweight Hughie Fury (24-3, 14 KOs) returns against Poland’s Mariusz Wach (36-6, 19 KOs), Martin Bakole (15-1, 12 KOs) and Sergey Kuzmin (15-1, 11 KOs) fight for the vacant WBC International Heavyweight Title, Souleymane Cissoko (11-0, 7 KOs) takes on Kieron Conway (15-1-1, 3 KOs) in a ten round Super-Welterweight clash, Ramla Ali (1-0) faces VanesaCaballero (3-9-3)in her second professional fight and Leeds Super-Bantamweight Qais Ashfaq (8-1, 3 KOs) looks to return to winning ways against Ashley Lane (14-9-2, 1 KO).

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to see fans returning to our live boxing events,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “Whilst the team have done an incredible job over the last 10 months we live and breathe through the energy and atmosphere that a live crowd generates.

“It’s so fitting that they can return for an AJ fight, when through the last few years he has broken all kinds of attendance records in the U.K. and beyond. This is such a positive move for boxing and all sport. Welcome back!”

John Drury, VP & General Manager of The SSE Arena, Wembley, said: “The SSE Arena, Wembley is delighted to have our customers back for its reopening event, and it does not get any better than the return of fans to see Anthony Joshua in action.  

“The SSE Arena, Wembley will open its doors with best-in-class procedures from ASM Global’s VenueShield programme.  VenueShield is a comprehensive, industry-leading programme deployed at more than 325 ASM Global facilities around the world, providing the highest levels of enhanced cleanliness and safety.  

“As a response to the coronavirus pandemic, ASM Global has partnered with medical professionals, industry leaders, and public health officials to create a welcoming, secure environment while providing the most advanced hygienic safeguards for anyone visiting the building.  

“We are following all government and local authority health guidelines in order to reopen, and look forward to bringing fans and events back in a Covid-secure way.”

The fight which was originally planned for The O2 arena, has been moved to The SSE Arena, Wembley due to promoter logistics.

Souleymane Cissoko will take on Kieron Conway in a ten round Super-Welterweight clash on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s Unified Heavyweight World Title defence against Kubrat Pulev on Saturday December 12, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Frenchman Cissokho (11-0, 7 KOs) won bronze at the 2016 Rio Games at 69kg before joining the professional ranks in 2017 where he is now undefeated in eleven fights – with seven of those victories coming by way of knockout – and signed to Joshua’s 258 MGT and Matchroom Boxing. 

Northampton’s Conway (15-1-1, 3 KOs) overcame a spirited start from Navid Mansouri to seal a wide points victory and claim the vacant WBA Intercontinental Super-Welterweight Title, the first belt of his professional career, last time out at Fight Camp.  

“I’m very excited to get back in the ring as part of a huge card on December 12,” said Cissokho. “It has been a difficult year for everyone and I am itching to fight. I cant wait to put on a show and showcase my skills in the UK for the first time. It’s a dream come true to be able to perform for the British public. 

“Thank you to my team at 258 Management and Matchroom for working to get me this opportunity. Training camp has been tough but I am ready to go 100%.”

“I’m looking forward to this fight massively,” said Conway. “It’s another big fight for me, another big challenge and another big win. Being on this show is huge. There’s going to be massive viewing figures and I’m excited to be part of the whole thing.

“I know Cissokho was a very good amateur, and I know he’s skilful but I’m looking forward to showcasing my own skills and showing more of what I’m about.

“He hasn’t fought for a while, so it could be an advantage for me. Being out the ring for a year does nobody any favours but we will see on fight night, either way I’m looking to dominate. After this fight I’d expect more big fights and for people to not overlook me anymore.”

Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) defends his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles against Mandatory Challenger KubratPulev (28-1, 14 KOs) on a huge night of action that sees Lawrence Okolie (14-0, 11 KOs) take on Krzysztof Glowacki (31-2, 19 KOs) for the vacant WBO Cruiserweight World Title, Manchester Heavyweight Hughie Fury (24-3, 14 KOs) returns against Poland’s Mariusz Wach (36-6, 19 KOs) and Martin Bakole (15-1, 12 KOs) and Sergey Kuzmin (15-1, 11 KOs) fight for the vacant WBC International Heavyweight Title.

Two exciting Heavyweight matchups have been added to the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s Unified World Title defence against Kubrat Pulev on Saturday December 12, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Hughie Fury (24-3, 14 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time since his three-round destruction of Pavel Sour at Manchester Arena back in March to take on Poland’s Mariusz Wach (36-6, 19 KOs), a former opponent of Wladimir Klitschko, Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte. 

“I’m very excited to be back in action again on December 12,” said Fury. “It’s been a while and I’m ready to show what I’m all about. I’ve been in the gym working on a lot of different aspects of my game, perfecting what I needed to do. 

“Mariusz Wach is a good fighter who’s been in with many top tier fighters including a World Title challenge. He brings power and size, and you can’t switch off for a second. I want these kind of fights as these fights will help me achieve what I need. I’m expecting a tough fight with Wach.”

Martin Bakole and Sergey Kuzmin fight for the vacant WBC International Heavyweight Title after their proposed fight earlier in the year was rescheduled. Both men share respective 15-1 records and will be looking to gatecrash the world rankings.

“I’m really looking forward to fighting for the WBC International Title on such a big night of boxing, said Bakole. “A victory over Kuzmin is another step to making my dreams come true.”

“This fight with Bakole is very important for me, I need to bounce back from my defeat to Michael Hunter last time and get back on track towards a World Title,” revealed Kuzmin. “Martin is big, tall and comes forward, we know his strengths. I come only to win on December 12.”

Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) defends his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles against Mandatory Challenger KubratPulev (28-1, 14 KOs) on a huge night of action that sees Lawrence Okolie (14-0, 11 KOs) take on Krzysztof Glowacki (31-2, 19 KOs) for the vacant WBO Cruiserweight World Title.

Lawrence Okolie will take on Krzysztof Glowacki for the vacant WBO Cruiserweight World Title on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev at The O2 in London on Saturday December 12, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in more than 200 countries and territories including Poland. 

 Okolie (14-0, 11 KOs) claimed the EBU European Cruiserweight Title with a seventh-round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Yves Ngabu in October last year, capping a successful 2019 which saw four knockouts in as many fights for the Hackney man. 
 
Glowacki (31-2, 19 KOs) knocked out Germany’s Marco Huck in eleven rounds to win the WBO World Title in 2015 before widely outpointing Steve Cunningham in his first defence. He suffered the first defeat of his career against Ukrainian pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk in his next fight.
 
The Polish southpaw earned the interim WBO Title by decisioning Maxim Vlasov at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago in November 2018 but was stopped in three rounds by Latvia’s Mairis Briedis last year in a challenge for the full title. 
 
“It has been a long and hard road to get here,” said Okolie. “I’m very excited and blessed to have this opportunity; I’ll be grabbing it with both hands. I will become Britain’s next World Champion on December 12. 
 
“Glowacki is a great fighter and he is someone that I looked up to when I first started boxing. I believe he won the World Title the same year I was pushing to try and get on the Olympic team when I’d had 15 amateur fights. 
 
“He’s a former two-time World Champion and has only lost twice to two elite opponents. He’s going to be my biggest test on paper as a professional. He is a consummate professional and will do everything in his power to win.
 
“I have to be on my A game, and I will be. I’m happy that throughout my career I have faced the best opposition that I could have at every stage. This is just another one of those.”
 
“I will retrieve my belt and I will bring it back to Poland,” said Glowacki. “I will become WBO World Champion for the third time in my career, there is no other option. I am prepared for a hard battle because Lawrence Okolie is big, strong and awkward, but the belt is mine and I will bring it back home.”

“In just 14 fights Lawrence Okolie has done it all and now it’s the moment of truth,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Britain has the chance to crown another World Champion but Lawrence has it all to do against a great fighter and former World Champ in Krysztof Glowacki and someone who has mixed consistently at the top level. This is going to be a huge night and a huge moment for Lawrence – we can’t wait.”

“The time has come for Lawrence,” said 258 Athlete Advisor Anthony Joshua. “This is a huge opportunity, one I know he will rise to. He is about to fight at the most elite level possible. He will prepare diligently and be ready. 

“The whole team at 258 MGT are behind him. We are proud to have helped guide him inside and out of the ring since his professional debut to his first World Title opportunity in under 4 years.”
 
Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) defends his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles against Mandatory Challenger Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) on a huge night of action, with more fights to be announced soon.

Oleksandr Usyk’s huge Heavyweight clash with Derek Chisora will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live as part of a BBC deal with Matchroom Boxing that also includes Anthony Joshua’s next fight against Kubrat Pulev on Saturday December 12. 

Mike Costello and Steve Bunce will be ringside at The SSE Arena Wembley, with special guest Dillian Whyte joining the team as co-commentator from his training camp in Portugal, as he prepares for his must-win rematch with Alexander Povetkin on November 21. 

Chisora’s showdown with Usyk kick starts a busy spell in British boxing, with BBC Radio 5 Live airing ringside commentary for four huge upcoming fight nights. The deal also includes Katie Taylor’s Lightweight World Title clash with Miriam Gutierrez on November 14 and Billy Joe Saunders’ all-British Super-Middleweight World Title showdown with Martin Murray on December 4.

BBC Sport Boxing Correspondent, Mike Costello said: “We were there for Anthony Joshua’s redemption mission in Saudi Arabia last December and we’ll be back at ringside for his first fight in more than a year. With Billy Joe Saunders also back in action and Katie Taylor topping a bill featuring three women’s World Title fights, we’ve rarely featured a more hectic spell of boxing on 5 Live. Joshua’s showdown against Kubrat Pulev closes out an unprecedented run of fights in British Heavyweight boxing and it all begins at The SSE Arena, Wembley tonight.”  

Matchroom Boxing CEO, Frank Smith said: “Oleksandr Usyk vs. Derek Chisora kicks off a busy schedule as we close out a difficult year in style, and I’m delighted that Mike Costello and the team at BBC Radio 5 Live will be broadcasting tonight’s huge Heavyweight clash, as well as Katie Taylor’s Lightweight World Title fight with Miriam Gutierrez on November 14, Billy Joe Saunders’ all-British Super-Middleweight World Title showdown with Martin Murray on December 4 and Anthony Joshua’s mandatory defence against Kubrat Pulev on December 12.”

See below for a breakdown of the fights within the BBC deal with Matchroom Boxing:

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Derek Chisora – Saturday 31st Oct (live coverage from 10.30pm)

Katie Taylor vs. Miriam Gutierrez – Sat 14th Nov

Billy Joe Saunders vs. Martin Murray – Fri 4th Dec

Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev – Sat 12th Dec

Live coverage of each fight will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

Unified Heavyweight Champion of the World Anthony JoshuaOBE will defend his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles against Mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev at The O2 in London on Saturday December 12, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all of its nine markets including the U.S., on a show promoted by Matchroom Boxing in association with Top Rank and Epic Sports and Entertainment.

Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) recaptured his belts and position as the Unified Heavyweight World Champion with a masterful unanimous decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia on an historical night in December that saw the Heavyweight World Titles contested for the very first time in the Middle East.

December 12 will be ‘AJ’s’ first fight on UK soil in over two years, since he defended his crowns with a devastating seventh round knockout of Russia’s Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium, and the former Finchley ABC man will be aiming to deal with Pulev in style to set up an Undisputed showdown against WBC Champion and fellow Brit Tyson Fury in 2021.

Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs), the IBF’s No.1-ranked Heavyweight Mandatory Challenger, gets his second shot at World honours after his defeat to modern legend Wladimir Klitschko in 2014 – the only loss of his 29-fight professional career. He has won six fights in a row since then, including victories over Derek Chisora and an IBF Eliminator win over Hughie Fury in 2018.

The Bulgarian superstar was set to challenge Joshua at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in October 2017 but was forced to withdraw through an injury and will now get his opportunity to ruin the champion’s plans to face Fury in an all-British blockbuster showdown in the future.

“December 12 is the date and once again the Heavyweight belts go up in the air and it is my sole focus to make sure that come December 13 they are in their rightful place in the UK,” said Joshua. 

“The O2 is the original lion’s den, I have a lot of history with the arena, but without the fans something huge is missing. I am really hoping that, safety permitting, we might be able to bring some boxing fans in, but we will have to see.  I respect every opponent and I respect Pulev. I wish him well during his preparation.”

“For a small country of Bulgaria to stand up for the Heavyweight Titles is a great accomplishment,” said Pulev. “This fight is for my late father and all Bulgarians around the world! I’m coming to London to seize the Heavyweight Championship of the World.”

“After a challenging year for everyone, to end with the unified World Heavyweight Championship is very special,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Over a year after regaining his crown, Anthony Joshua takes on yet another dangerous opponent in Mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev. AJ’s resume is unrivalled, and this is the final hurdle until we challenge for the undisputed crown next year. 

“Whilst it’s unusual to think of an AJ fight without tens of thousands of fans in attendance, we will be doing everything we can to lobby for the safe return of fans to this event, we have to move forward together. I know Team Pulev and Bob Arum will be doing all they can to become World Champion on Dec 12 but AJ constantly evolves and improves and I expect a dominant performance and a spectacular KO to close out 2020.”

Bob Arum, Top Rank Chairman, said: “Eddie Hearn better watch out. Kubrat Pulev is going to destroy his plan for a Joshua-Tyson Fury unification fight.”

258 Managing Director Freddie Cunningham said: “Anthony again shows his willingness and desire to chase the Undisputed Title with another tough mandatory fight and despite the challenges of making a fight of this scale during these times it is important for AJ to keep momentum. It will be an exciting way to end the year and unique in every way. We will be working with Matchroom to build a card full of 258 fighters to give the fans entertainment throughout the undercard.”

John Wirt, President of Epic Sports and Entertainment, said: “Crowd or no crowd, we are coming to AJ’s backyard to claim the titles. Come December 12, there will be no more excuses or delays. I guarantee that it will be an epic battle and that Kubrat will stop AJ inside the distance.”

“Anthony Joshua returns to the ring, a year after recapturing his World Titles from Andy Ruiz Jr, and Britain’s Unified World Champion will be determined to reign supreme in a hotly-contested Heavyweight division,” said Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing Development. 

“Kubrat Pulev has proven pedigree, with just that sole defeat to Wladimir Klitschko, and he’ll be hoping to send more shockwaves through the sport with an upset victory, but I know that AJ has been training tirelessly, priming his explosive power for another night of fireworks.

“Tyson Fury will of course be watching – as an Undisputed World Title fight is within touching distance – and AJ cannot afford a slip-up in a blockbuster ending to the boxing year.”

“We’re thrilled to bring the Heavyweight Championship of the World to all DAZN subscribers,” said DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski. “AJ-Pulev will have major consequences for the entire boxing landscape as both men aim to end the year in emphatic fashion.”

DAZN is currently available in the U.S., as well as Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland.

Anthony Joshua’s defence of his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World Titles against Mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev scheduled to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday June 20 has been postponed.
 
A new date for the event promoted by Matchroom Boxing and 258 Management in association with Top Rank and Epic Sports Entertainment is currently being worked on. We will announce any updates in due course and continue to explore the possibility of hosting this fight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Unified Heavyweight Champion of the World Anthony JoshuaOBE will defend his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles against Mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday June 20, live on Sky Sports Box Office, on a show promoted by Matchroom Boxing in association with Top Rank and Epic Sports and Entertainment.

Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) recaptured his belts and position as the Unified Heavyweight World Champion with a masterful unanimous decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia on an historical night in December that saw the Heavyweight World Titles contested for the very first time in the Middle East.

June 20 will be ‘AJ’s’ first fight on UK soil in nearly two years, since he defended his crowns with a devastating seventh round knockout of Russia’s Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium, and the former Finchley ABC man will be aiming to deal with Pulev in style to set up an Undisputed showdown against new WBC Champion and fellow Brit Tyson Fury down the line.

Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs), the IBF’s No.1-ranked Heavyweight Mandatory Challenger, gets his second shot at World honours after his defeat to modern legend Wladimir Klitschko in 2014 – the only loss of his 29-fight professional career. He has won six fights in a row since then, including victories over Derek Chisora and an IBF Eliminator win over Hughie Fury in 2018.

The Bulgarian superstar was set to challenge Joshua at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in October 2017 but was forced to withdraw through an injury and will now get his opportunity to ruin the champion’s plans to face Fury in an all-British blockbuster showdown in the future.

“On June 20, I am defending my Heavyweight World Titles,” said Joshua. “I’m back in my home city after some time away. A spectacular stadium has been built in North London and I’m honoured to bring the boxing community from all over the world to witness us make history with the stadium’s first Heavyweight World Title fight. The belts go back up in the air and nothing will stop me from being victorious.”

“I am happy to have the opportunity to show the world how strong I really am,” said Pulev. “Becoming a Heavyweight World Champion has always been my mission in life and on June 20 2020 I will fulfil my destiny!”

“I’m so excited to see Anthony Joshua return to the capital, 70,000 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is going to be very special,” said Eddie Hearn. “2019 was a crazy year that had everything – the only thing missing was a UK fight and as we go into what I believe will be the biggest year of ‘AJ’s’ career so far, all our attention turns to Kubrat Pulev in an absolute must win fight. Pulev is undefeated in six years and his team and especially Bob Arum really fancy this. I think you are going to see something special from ‘AJ’ on June 20 – a destructive performance on the road to undisputed.”

Bob Arum, Top Rank Chairman, said: “Kubrat Pulev has earned his ranking, and he is going to enemy territory prepared to pull off the upset. Ever since Top Rank signed Kubrat last year, I have seen a determined Heavyweight on a mission to win the Heavyweight Title. He has been in this situation before, and he won’t be intimidated by the tens of thousands of Joshua fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. June 20 is going to be another historic evening in the Heavyweight division.”

John Wirt, President of Epic Sports and Entertainment, said: “This fight has been a long time coming, but we finally have Joshua cornered and on June 20, I guarantee Pulev will be victorious and Great Britain’s recently acquired chokehold on the Heavyweight division Championship will be brought to a quick and sudden ending.”

“We’re absolutely delighted about Anthony Joshua’s homecoming World Title fight against Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, said Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing Development. “Pulev is a dangerous proposition, with plenty of top level experience, and ‘AJ’ will need to be at his best to retain his belts in front of his home support.

“We’ve covered every step of ‘AJ’s’ journey, including his impressive rematch win over Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia, and now he’s back in Britain at the home of Spurs. I recently visited the stadium and was blown away by the state-of-the-art facilities. It will provide a stunning backdrop for Britain’s Unified World Heavyweight Champion.”

Ticket information will be announced in due course.

Unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev are close to finalizing a deal that would pit them against each other in June, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Assuming the deal is signed, promoter Eddie Hearn said the fight will take place June 20 at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in 2019 and seats more than 60,000.

“The terms are agreed and we’re papering the deal as we talk,” Hearn told ESPN in Frisco, where he is promoting the Mikey Garcia-Jessie Vargas welterweight fight on Saturday night.

“It’s just been stuff like tickets, officials — because we’ve got to make sure they want neutral officials and we’d have to speak to the [British Board of Boxing Control] about that, and it could take two or three days,” Hearn said. “But everything has been really smooth. It’s really, really minor details. We’re re-drafting and re-drafting and re-drafting [the contract], and every time there’s a re-draft two of the problems disappear. So it’s travel, officials, press conferences, [does Top Rank] get a slot on the undercard. It’s so minor now, it’s just making sure there are no arguments when we get it done.”

Although it is a mandatory fight, Hearn said there is “likely to be a rematch clause because it’s just how it is with AJ fights. It’s the same conversation I had with [Top Rank chairman Bob] Arum when we did [Vasiliy] Lomachenko-Luke Campbell and Lomachenko-Anthony Crolla [last year]. They were both mandatories but both had rematch clauses. If [Pulev] said no rematch clause then we wouldn’t take the fight and they’d lose the biggest payday of their career. They’d fight Charles Martin for [a vacant title] for $500,000. So the fight is nearly done. I just saw another draft. The discussion points are down to silly things.”

It looks like unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will defend against IBF Mandatory Kubrat Pulevas the IBF has given representatives of the two sides an extension to make the deal, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

We are very close in my opinion, but the real issue is everyone’s trying to vet offers [from sites] that are coming in from all over,” said John Wirt, who is one of the representatives of Pulev. “The only continents not in play to my knowledge are Antarctica and Australia.”

Just a day after the WBO ordered heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua to fight Oleksandr Usyk, the IBF ordered Joshua to fight Kubrat Pulev.

“Negotiations should commence immediately and be concluded by January 11, 2020,” IBF championships committee chairman Carlos Ortiz Jr. wrote in the letter. “If you are unable to come to an agreement for this bout the IBF will call for a purse bid.”

Jamel Herring retained the WBO Junior Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over mandatory challenger Lamont Roach Jr. at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, California.

Herring, 129.8 lbs of Coram, NY won by scores of 117-111 twice and 115-113 to raise his mark to 21-2. Roach, 129 lbs of Washington, DC is 19-1-1.

“I won {the title} on Memorial Day Weekend and I defended it on Veterans Day Weekend, so it definitely means a lot to all of our troops out there defending our country and still in harm’s way,” Herring said. “This is for ya’ll. I couldn’t lose it on our weekend. It means a lot to still be a world champion.

“Like I said, Miguel Berchelt is considered number one, the best super featherweight in the world. In order to be the best, you have to keep testing yourself.”

Said Roach: “We knew we had to dig down. When I hurt him, all that was on my mind was finishing him. I’m coming into unchartered territory.”

IBF number-one ranked heavyweight Kubrat Pulev won a 10-round unanimous decision over Rydell Booker.

Pulev, 248.4 lbs of Sofia, BUL won by scores of 98-92 twice and 99-91 and is now 28-1. Booker, 248.2 lbs of Detroit is 26-4.

“It’s been eight months from my last fight. I think my opponent was not bad,” Pulev said. “I respect him. It was a very nice fight.

“I controlled the whole fight, and I was the much better boxer. I showed everyone I’m at the world level, and I must fight the winner of Joshua and Ruiz.”

Gabriel Flores Jr. won an eight-round unaimous decision over Aelio Mesquita in a junior lightweight bout.

Flores 133.5 lbs of Stockton, CA won by scores of 80-72 on all cards, and is now 16-0. Mesquita of Brazil is 19-5.

Janibek Alimkhanuly stopped Albert Onolunose in round six of a 10-round middleweight bout.

Alimkhanuly dropped Onolunose with a flurry of punches in round six. Onolunose continued by took a pounding and the bout was stopped at 2:31.

Alimkhanuly, 159 3/4 lbs of Almaty, KAZ is 8-0 with four knockouts. Onolunose, 158 1/4 lbs of Calgary, CAN is 24-3-1.

Two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Robeisy Ramirez stopped Fernando Ibarra in the 6th and final round of their featherweight bout.

Ramirez pounded Ibarra, especially to the body until he dropped him in the final round and the bout was stopped at 1:37.

Ramirez, 124 3/4 lbs of Cuba is 1-1 with one knockout. Ibarra, 122.5 lbs of Fairfield, CA is 2-2.

“I have a new trainer, Ismael Salas, and we worked hard in the gym together,” Ramirez said. “What happened in my pro debut is in the past. I am looking forward to a bright future.”

Esquiva Falcao stopped Manny Woods in round three of their scheduled eight-round middleweight bout.

In round two, Woods began to bleed from his nose. Falcao continued to beat and batter Woods until the towel was thrown in by Woods’ corner at 2:18 of round three.

Falcao, 160.5 lbs of Votoria, BRA is now 25-0 with 17 knockouts. Woods, 161.5 lbs of St. Petersburg, FL is 16-9-1.

Former world title challenger Amir Imam stopped Marcos Mojica in round four of their scheduled eight-round welterweight bout.

In round four, Imam dropped Mojica with a left hook to the body.. Seconds later, Imam landed a combination that sent Mojica down in the corner and the bout was stopped at 56 seconds.

Imam, 144 lbs of Albany, NY is 22-2 with 19 knockouts. Mojica, 143 lbs of Managua, NIC is 16-5-2.

“I just have to be consistent at this point in my career. I’m coming back in January, and I need to take advantage of the opportunities that are given to me,” Imam said.

David Kaminsky stopped Travis Jerrig in round two of a scheduled four-round middleweight bout.

The time of the stoppage was 26 seconds after a series of unanswered blows

Kaminsky, 162 1/4 lbs of Los Angeles is 6-0 with three knockouts. Jerrig, 162 lbs of Zanesville, OH is 3-4-1.

FRESNO, Calif. (Nov. 7, 2019) — Under the bright lights, above where a pitcher’s mound normally stands, Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring will enter the ring for the first time as a champion.

Herring, who makes the first defense of his WBO junior lightweight world title against Lamont Roach Jr. Saturday evening (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+) at Chukchansi Park (home of the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies), is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served two tours of duty in Iraq. He won the world title on Memorial Day Weekend earlier this year and, in fitting fashion, will defend his belt on Veterans Day Weekend and the eve of the Marine Corps Birthday.

In the 10-round co-feature, IBF No. 1 heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev (27-1, 14 KOs), seeking a 2020 world title shot, will face Detroit-based veteran Rydell Booker (26-2, 13 KOs). Pulev is angling for a shot at the winner of the Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua rematch, while the 38-year-old Booker is 4-1 since coming back to the ring following a 12-year prison sentence. 

In other action, after the main event takes place, 19-year-old lightweight sensation Gabriel Flores Jr. (15-0, 6 KOs) will face Aelio Mesquita (19-4, 17 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Flores, from nearby Stockton, Calif., will have a rabid cheering section.

At Thursday’s final press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.

Jamel Herring

On sparring with the likes of Terence Crawford and Maurice Hooker

“Those guys, they really helped. {Super middleweight contender} Steven Nelson being a veteran helped as well. He motivated me and pushed me… camp has been great. It’s probably been one of the best camps that I’ve had.”

On defending his title on the eve of the Marine Corps Birthday

“It’s all about what happens in the ring. All that will go in vain if I don’t play my part and perform to the best of my abilities and handle my business. It’s definitely great to be a Marine and basically be one of the only Marines on this type of platform. Of course, that’s a great feeling.”

Lamont Roach Jr.

“It’s truly a blessing fighting on Veterans Day weekend just to honor my cousin, who was my late trainer. He was in the Army and dedicated his life to boxing. He was an All-Army champ in, I think, 1983, one of those years. Way before I was born. But he learned the game from them, and he gave the game to me. That old Army training is definitely in me. This weekend is a big weekend for all vets, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to one thing to me, and that’s inside the ring. It’s for that belt right there. Julie {Goldsticker, Herring’s publicist}, hold that belt up for me. It’s gonna go home with me, and I am going to go celebrate with the Washington Nationals and the Mystics, who won the WNBA championship.”

“I’m glad that my promotional company moved me the right way. I earned this spot. I wasn’t given this spot. All the hard work that I put in from 9 years old to now is going to show.”

“We know Jamel is a crafty fighter, but we’re gonna bring it to him. I think I can do anything in the ring better than him. I can be a better, taller fighter than him even though I’m shorter than him. I can beat him on the inside, I can beat him all around the ring. So, we’re going to see.”

Kubrat Pulev

“This is boxing. Nothing is sure, but I am here to fight, and I am here to win. That is why I prepared well, and I believe in myself. I know who I am. I’m one of the best in the heavyweight division. And, yeah, my opponent is good also, but I think I’m much, much better.”

“For me, this is one fight and more experience. I must stay in the ring and wait to fight the winner of Joshua and Ruiz. Who wins, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m now concentrated on Booker. He’s a serious opponent.”

Rydell Booker

“This {opportunity} means a lot. Everyone understands my story. I went away to prison for 12 years.  In two years home, I’ve been very active. This fight couldn’t have come at a better time because I was just in camp with {Oleksandr} Usyk when I got the call. I left Usyk’s camp and went to Deontay Wilder’s camp, and so I stayed busy. I get a lot of calls to go help the greats. I was just in camp with Anthony Joshua, learning something from him and vice versa. So I’ve been around the game 31 years, and I come to bring my experience and talents.”

“I don’t take nothing away from nobody’s talent because everybody has their own talent in certain ways. He hasn’t fought a heavyweight like me, slick as me. I understand he lost to {Wladimir} Klitschko. Klitschko was taught by a great who taught me and my coach, Emanuel Steward. They still don’t have the athleticism that I have. I’ll let my talents speak for itself.”

Gabriel Flores Jr.

“This means a lot to me. I’ve fought in Fresno a few times already, and every time I come to Fresno, they treat me real well. It’s like a second home to me. I enjoy it here, and I feel the love. To fight on Veterans Day {Weekend} means a lot because I get to pay some respect to veterans. That’s something I always wanted to do, and to go to the veterans hospital {VA Central California} and talk to them and shake their hands, it was nice… just to hear their stories. I met a man who was a 100 years old, so it was nice to interact with them.”

“Each fight, I get better and better. I fix my mistakes. Every fight, there are mistakes. It’s hard to be perfect. Not everyone sees {my mistakes}. Maybe my father and I do, so come Saturday night, you’re going to see another step up from Gabriel Flores. To beat him, I just have to be myself. He’s got a nice right hand, but it takes more than a right hand to beat me.”

ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Jamel Herring vs. Lamont Roach Jr., 12 rounds, Herring’s WBO junior lightweight world title

Kubrat Pulev vs. Rydell Booker, 10 rounds, heavyweight

ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT

David Kaminsky vs. Travis Jerig, 6/4 rounds, middleweight

Robeisy Ramirez vs. Fernando Ibarra, 6 rounds, featherweight

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Albert Onolunose, 10 rounds, Alimkhanuly’s WBC Continental Americas and WBO Global middleweight titles

Esquiva Falcao vs. Manny Woods, 10/8 rounds, middleweight

Amir Imam vs. Marcos Mojica, 8 rounds, welterweight

OFF TV (After Herring-Roach)

Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Aelio Mesquita, 8 rounds, lightweight

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Golden Boy, tickets are priced at $200, $96, $46 and $29 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased by visiting mpv.tickets.com, charge by phone at 559.320.TIXS (8497) or at the Chukchansi Park box office (open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m PT to 5 p.m. PT). In honor of Veterans Day and the Marine Corps Birthday, any active or retired service members will receive up to four free tickets to the event by presenting their military ID at the Chukchansi Park box office (while supplies last).

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #HerringRoach to join the conversation on social media.

FRESNO, Calif. (Oct. 22, 2019) — IBF No. 1 heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev returns to the ring to face Rydell Booker in a 10-round clash Saturday, November 9 at Chukchansi Park in downtown Fresno, California.

Pulev-Booker will serve as the co-feature to the Jamel Herring-Lamont Roach Jr. WBO junior lightweight world title bout and both fights will live stream on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

The entire undercard will stream on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

“Kubrat Pulev is ready to fight for a heavyweight title today, but he has one final test before that can become a reality,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He is motivated to knock out Booker and get ready for his title shot in early 2020.”

“This fight with Rydell Booker is very important because of what’s at stake,” Pulev said. “Everything is on the line. I am the top contender in the heavyweight division, and I am the mandatory challenger for the winner of the Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua rematch. I want the winner. It doesn’t matter who it is.”

“It’s a big deal for me. This is a chance for me to show everyone that I still have it,” Booker said. “I haven’t missed a beat. This opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time. I was in camp with Oleksandr Usyk for six weeks before I got the fight. The numbers made sense, so I jumped at the opportunity.”

Pulev (27-1, 14 KOs), one of Bulgaria’s most prominent sporting figures, has won seven fights in a row since challenging Wladimir Klitschko in a failed bid for the unified heavyweight title in November 2014. He earned the IBF No. 1 ranking last October with a unanimous decision over Hughie Fury in his hometown of Sofia, Bulgaria.

Pulev maintained his ranking with a seventh-round knockout over Bogdan Dinu in the main event of a Top Rank on ESPN telecast March 23 in Costa Mesa, California. He faces Booker (26-2, 13 KOs), a 38-year-old Detroit native who is 4-1 since returning in February 2018 from serving a 12-year prison term for a drug conviction. A cruiserweight contender in the early 2000s, Booker now hopes a return to boxing can help him outside of the ring as well.

In other undercard action:

• Middleweight sensation Janibek Alimkhanuly (7-0, 3 KOs) hopes to bring his brand of “Qazaq Style” to Fresno when he defends his WBC Continental Americas and WBO Global belts against former NABO and Canadian middleweight champion Albert Onolunose (24-2-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Alimkhanuly is trained by Hall of Famer Buddy McGirt and has knocked out two of his last three foes.
   
• Longtime middleweight contender and 2012 Olympic silver medalist Esquiva Falcao (24-0, 16 KOs) will continue his march up the rankings in a 10-rounder against Manny Woods (16-8-1, 6 KOs). Falcao was the first Brazilian boxer to reach an Olympic final and is ranked No. 7 by the IBF and No. 6 by the WBC.
   
• The pride of Stockton, California, Gabriel Flores Jr. (15-0, 6 KOs), will see his hometown fans head south to watch him face Aelio Mesquita (19-4, 17 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight fight. The 19-year-old Flores packed more than 10,000 fans into the Stockton Arena back in May and is perhaps the sport’s top ticket-selling prospect.
   
• Former world title challenger Amir Imam (21-2, 18 KOs) will make his long-awaited ring return versus Marcos Mojica (16-4-2, 12 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight fight. Imam, who recently signed with Top Rank, hasn’t fought since a March 2018 decision loss to Jose Ramirez for the vacant WBC super lightweight world title.

• Robeisy Ramirez (0-1), a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba, will look to rebound from a shocking defeat in his professional debut against Fernando Ibarra De Anda (2-1, 0 KOs) in a six-rounder at featherweight.
   
• David Kaminsky (5-0, 2 KOs), the 19-year-old Israeli-born middleweight prospect, will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder.

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Golden Boy, tickets are priced at $200, $96, $46 and $29 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased by visiting mpv.tickets.com, charge by phone at 559.320.TIXS (8497) or at the Chukchansi Park box office (open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. PT to 5 p.m. PT). In honor of Veterans Day and the Marine Corps Birthday, any active or retired service members will receive up to four free tickets to the event by presenting their military ID at the Chukchansi Park box office (while supplies last).

Use the hashtags #HerringRoach and #PulevBooker to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com.

IBF #1-rated heavyweight contender Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev has responded to former unified WBA, IBF, and WBO (and current Lineal) Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury’s public claims that he turned down a fight with “The Gypsy King.”

Pulev asserts it is the exact opposite situation, in fact.

“Fury is using me and some other boxers that he knows are currently unavailable for different reasons, just so he can get some PR,” said Pulev. “A few years ago, Fury refused a fight with me and not because he wasn’t available like I am right now. He was available. He was just scared!”

By winning a unanimous decision over Fury’s cousin Hughie last October, Pulev became the mandatory next fight for the winner of the upcoming Ruiz vs. Joshua rematch.

Fury made the claim that Pulev is afraid to fight while justifying facing his next opponent, lesser-known Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin on September 14 in Las Vegas.

“My first goal is to become a world champion,” continued the Bulgarian slugger, “not to just fight random unknown opponents like he’s doing! Winning those belts are my main focus right now. Fury’s turn will come and, when it does, I will make him just as powerless as his cousin, who also used to talk a lot.”

Bulgarian IBF #1-rated heavyweight contender Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev and his team have officially petitioned the IBF, requesting they order their world champion, Andy Ruiz, to postpone his rematch with former champ Anthony Joshua and make an immediate mandatory defense against Pulev.

Team Pulev say their fighter has earned the right to an immediate title fight by winning two IBF eliminators (October 27, 2018, when he defeated IBF #3-rated Hughie Fury and May 7, 2016, when he defeated former European champion and world title challenger Dereck Chisora) and by staying active against top competition. For example, on March 23 of this year, he knocked out WBA #14-rated Bogdan Dinu on ESPN.

Pulev had originally been scheduled to face then-champion Anthony Joshua on October 28, 2017, in Cardiff, Wales, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. Joshua went on to defeat substitute opponent Carlos Takam and then make two more defenses then lose to Ruiz by TKO 7 in June of this year without facing Pulev.

And now, even though long-time IBF mandatory challenger Pulev has re-earned his spot as the IBF mandatory by beating Fury, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing has made clear he and Joshua intend to exercise their contractual right to an immediate rematch against Ruiz.

“We’ve been waiting patiently. The time is now,” said Bob Arum, founder and CEO of Top Rank, which co-promotes Pulev along with Epic Sports. “Andy Ruiz has an obligation to fight #1 mandatory IBF contender Kubrat Pulev.”

“Eddie is running this heavyweight title like it’s his own private enterprise,” said Ivaylo Gotzev of Epic Sports. “The bottom line is, Pulev originally fought an IBF eliminator over three years ago and was next in line with his IBF mandatory status. The IBF is an organization that has set a precedent for following their written rules and, according to rule 5.A.1., Ruiz’s rematch clause against Joshua does not affect his obligation to defend his title against the IBF leading available contender. Mandatory obligations supersede a promoter’s promotional rights. The IBF should not set aside their rules over the contractual details of a past fight.”

Ruiz himself is an indirect beneficiary of the IBF’s respected reputation for strictly adhering to its rules.

When Tyson Fury defeated Wladimir Klitschko to win the IBF title, the Klitschko camp exercised its contractual right to an immediate rematch with Fury. When Fury then refused to fight his IBF mandatory, opting for the more lucrative rematch with Klitschko, the IBF correctly vacated the title and ordered the two leading available contenders, Vyacheslav Glazkov and Charles Martin, to fight for the vacant IBF title.

Martin defeated Glazkov to become the IBF champion. In Martin’s first defense of the IBF title, he lost to Joshua which in fact was Joshua’s first bout for a major heavyweight title. Ruiz, who has now acquired the IBF title by defeating Joshua, is therefore the indirect beneficiary of the IBF’s policy of strictly complying with its rules, and Ruiz should therefore also be held to the IBF Rules and ordered to fight the IBF No. 1 available contender, Pulev, in his next bout.”

In another example, superstar fighter Gennady Golovkin was stripped of his IBF middleweight title in 2018 after choosing to face Vanes Martirosyan and failing to set up a mandatory defense against Ukrainian Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Daniel Jacobs then won the title by beating Derevyanchenko in a fight for the vacant belt.

“Two months have gone by since the Joshua bubble burst,” continued Gotzev. “No deal has been confirmed, only the occasional blurb by Eddie Hearn, of potential site and really no particular date. Eddie Hearn was talking to us for a November date at Wembley Stadium and Andy Ruiz ruined those plans. Andy is the new face of heavyweight boxing and we respect his fighting abilities. Pulev vs Ruiz will be a formidable battle.”

“I was ready to face Anthony Joshua in November and now I’m eager to challenge Andy Ruiz,” said Pulev. I will fight Ruiz anywhere in the world. Let’s make it happen.”

Heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev has been reinstated by the California commission after planting an an uwanted kiss on on a female reporter acording to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It was good hearing. Everybody’s side was heard again and the bottom line is Kubrat Pulev has complied over and above what was requested of him,” Ivaylo Gotzev of Epic Sports, which co-promotes Pulev with Top Rank, told ESPN. “The more important part is Kubrat Pulev wants to do more in the future. The whole world has an opinion on this situation and we want to educate and show by example how things should be handled and how athletes should behave.

“This was a lesson well learned and now we want to help others not make a mistake like this one. Kubrat is a great person and wants to help others. He’s going to educate others how they should act in these situations.”

“Kubrat has been training over the past few months,” Gotzev said. “He is the No. 1 mandatory contender for the IBF belt and now it’s time for us to demand the opportunity to fight for the belt against the current champion Andy Ruiz.”

Gotzev and Epic Sports partner John Wirt are due to meet with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum later on Monday to discuss the next move for Pulev now that he is free to fight again.

“We’re meeting with Arum to talk about different proposals and we’ll see what he’s got,” Wirt told ESPN. “Maybe we will go the IBF route and it could be Ruiz. Maybe a fight with Tyson Fury could be in the mix. You never know.”

Because of the serious nature of the illegal fouls inflicted on his fighter, Bogdan Dinu, in his knockout loss against Kubrat Pulev on March 23 at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, promoter Greg Cohen has filed a Petition for Change of Decision with the California State Athletic Commission.

Citing repeated rabbit punches, including one intentionally flagrant foul while Dinu was already down on his knees and defenseless, Cohen has filed a Petition for Change of Decision under rule 4 CCR – 368 of the Official California Code of Regulations, which states that the commission can change a fight’s verdict if a violation of the laws or rules and regulations governing boxing affected the result of any contest.

Should the verdict be overturned? Watch it HERE.

Romania’s WBA #14-rated Dinu (18-2, 14 KOs) and Bulgaria’s IBF #1- and WBC #9-rated Pulev (27-1, 14 KOs) were waging an even-on-the-cards (scores 57-57, 57-57 and 56-58) heavyweight battle when, in the seventh round, Pulev landed a punch behind the head to drop Dinu and then another when he was clearly down.

Pulev was penalized a point by referee Raul Caiz Jr. for the flagrant foul and Dinu was given five minutes to recover, but the damage had been done and when the action resumed, Dinu was knocked down twice more by illegal punches clearly landing on the back of his head and neck before the bout was halted at 2:40 and called a KO 7 victory for Pulev.

The California commission has agreed to hear out Cohen’s request, with a hearing penciled in for May 14.

For a moment it looked like Kubrat Pulev’s title shot was in jeopardy.

The Bulgarian heavyweight, who is ranked number-one by the IBF was cut badly by a Bogdan Dinu right hand in the 4th round of their heavyweight bout at The Hanger in Costa Mesa, California.

Pulev was able to shake it off, drop Dinu three times and stop him at 2:42 of round seven.

In round four, Dinu landed a big right hand that opened up a nasty cut over the left eye of Pulev.

Pulev was able to gather himself and score three knockdowns in the 7th. The 1st from a combination in the corner, where he almost got himself disqualified for hitting Dinu behind the head and while he was down. Pulev was deducted a point from that. Pulev scored two more knockdowns, both from big rights and the fight was stopped.

Pulev, 249.8 lbs of Sofia, BUL is 27-1 with 14 knockouts. Dinu, 239.6 lbs of Bucharest, ROM is 18-2.

“This is just part of being in a fight. The cut was not such a big problem. Sometimes blood makes me very hungry”, said Pulev. “I was very well prepared. I was ready for anything. At this moment I feel I can do anything inside the ring. I showed very good boxing skills. I also showed that I have good punching power and a good strategy”.

Jessie Magdaleno won a 10-round unanimous decision over Rico Ramos in a featherweight bout featuring former world champions.

Magdaleno, 125.6 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 and is now 26-1. Ramos, 127.2 lbs of Pico Rivera, CA is 30-6.

Magdaleno outanded Ramos 130-43.

“I came back from a long layoff and felt great against a tough opponent and a former world champion”, said Magdaleno. “Ramos is a great fighter, he was a former world champion for a reason, but tonight only one of us could come out victorious, and that was me. Now I’m going to sit down with my team, go back to the drawing board, and see what I have to keep working on to become a world champion once again”.

Maxim Dadashev got off the deck and came back to stop Ricky Sismundo in round four of their scheduled ten-round junior welterweight bout.

In round two, Sismundo dropped Dadashev with a straight left. In round four, Dadashev landed a clipping left hook that was followed by a right that Sismundo down on his back. That was stopped at 2:30.

Dadashev, 140 1/2 lbs of Oxnard, CA is 13-0 with 11 knockouts. Sismundo, 141 lbs of The Philippines is 35-13-3.

Tervel Pulev won a six-round unanimous decision over Mitch Williams in a cruiserweight bout.

In round three, Pulev was cut under his left eye. In round four, Pulev was docked a point for hitting on the break.

Pulev of Bulgaria won by scores of 59-55, 58-55 and 57-56 to stay undefeated at 13-0. Williams is now 16-8-3.

2008 U.S. Olympian Javier Molina won an eight-round unanimous decision over Abdiel Ramirez in a junior welterweight bout.

Molina, 140 1/2 lbs of Norwalk, CA won by scores of 79-73 and 78-74 twice and is now 19-2. Ramirez, 141 lbs of Ciudad Juarez, MX is 24-4-1.

Chris Van Heerden won a technical unanimous decision over Mahonri Montes when an accidental headbutt that opened up a cut over the right eye of Van Heerden that forced the fight to be halted.

Van Heerden dominated the action from the inside and outside. In round six, he was cut over his left eye. When they went to the score cards, Van Heerden was ahead 60-54 on all scores.

Van Heerden, 148 1/2 lbs of Johannesburg, SA is 27-2-1. Montes, 148 1/2 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is 35-9-1.

Erick DeLeon remained undefeated by stopping Jose Luis Gallegos in round six of their scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout.

DeLeon dominated the first four rounds by landing hard body shots that started to break Gallegos down. Gallegos dropped DeLeon in round five with a hard right hand off the ropes. That was short lived as DeLeon regrouped very nicely and started attacking Gallegos and began to hurt him with a flurry of punches that forced the referee to stop the fight at 1:35 of round six.

DeLeon, 131 1/2 lbs of Detroit is now 19-0-1 with 11 knockouts. Gallegos, 131 1/2 lbs of La Barca. MX is 16-6.

David Kaminsky remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Estevan Payan in a middleweight bout.

Kaminsky, 160 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 4-0. Payan, 159 1/2 lbs of Glendale, AZ is 1-7-1.

ESPN (10 p.m. ET)

Kubrat Pulev 249.8 lbs vs. Bogdan Dinu 239.6 lbs
(Heavyweight- 10 Rounds)

Jessie Magdaleno 125.6 lbs vs. Rico Ramos 127.2 lbs
(Vacant WBC USNBC featherweight title- 10 Rounds)

ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET)

Maxim Dadashev 140.4 lbs vs. Ricky Sismundo 140.8 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 10 Rounds)

Erick De Leon 131.4 lbs vs. Jose Luis Gallegos 131.4 lbs
(Lightweight – 10/8 Rounds)

Javier Molina 125.8 lbs vs. Abdiel Ramirez 125 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 10/8 Rounds)

Chris van Heerden 148.4 lbs vs. Mahrony Montes 148.6 lbs
(Welterweight – 10/8 Rounds)

Tyler McCreary 127.6 lbs vs. Roberto Castaneda 127 lbs
(Featherweight – 8/6 Rounds)

Bobirzhan Mominov 147.6 lbs vs. Jonathan Steele 146.4 lbs
(Welterweight – 8/6 Rounds)

David Kaminsky 160.6 lbs vs. Estevan Payan 159.4 lbs
(Middleweight – 4 Rounds)

Eric Puente 133.8 lbs vs. Alejandro Lopez 134.6 lbs
(Lightweight – 4 Rounds)

Tervel Pulev 207.8 lbs vs. Mitch Williams 199.8 lbs
(Cruiserweight – 8 Rounds)

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets priced at $75 and $60 are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.socafights.com.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #PulevDinu to follow the action on social media.

COSTA MESA, Calif. (Feb. 27, 2019) — Heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev, ranked No. 1 by the IBF, will put his rating on the line against Bogdan Dinu in a 10-round showdown on Saturday, March 23 at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, Calif.

In the co-feature, former world champions Jessie Magdaleno and Rico Ramos will clash in a 10-round featherweight bout with potential world title implications.

Pulev-Dinu and Magdaleno-Ramos will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The entire undercard, including the return of top junior welterweight contender Maxim “Mad Max” Dadashev against Ricky Sismundo, will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets priced at $75 and $60 are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.socafights.com.

“I’m excited to be fighting at The Hangar and on ESPN as I continue my quest to become the heavyweight champion of the world,” Pulev said. “I have a great team behind me, and I am focused and ready to take care of business on March 23.”

“I know this is a big opportunity for me to get to the top of the heavyweight division,” Dinu said. “I am happy to be fighting in the United States against a really top heavyweight in Pulev. When I win, I will be considered a top contender.”

“I haven’t fought in a long time, but I am ready to show the fans that I am the same guy who won the title not too long ago,” Magdaleno said. “I feel comfortable in my new weight class, and now that I’m back, the goal is to become a two-weight world champion.”

“I’m thrilled to be fighting on ESPN,” Ramos said. “I would like to thank Top Rank for the opportunity to showcase my skills on boxing’s biggest stage. I’m preparing my best to give the fans a great show. This fight will get me one step closer to becoming a two-time world champion.”

Pulev (26-1, 13 KOs) is closing in on a second world title shot, the first coming in 2014 when he put up a valiant effort before being stopped by longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko in the fifth round. He has won six straight since the Klitschko loss, most recently defeating fellow contender Hughie Fury via unanimous decision in front of his hometown fans at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria. Dinu (18-1, 14 KOs), a one-time top amateur in his native Romania, will be making his second ring appearance in America. He is looking to bounce back from a fourth-round stoppage loss to Jarrell Miller.

Magdaleno (25-1, 18 KOs) will be fighting for the first time since Isaac Dogboe snatched the WBO junior featherweight world title from him last April in a Fight of the Year contender. Dogboe bounced back from a first-round knockdown to stop Magdaleno in the 11th round. Magdaleno, who had difficulty making the 122-pound limit, hopes a win over Ramos propels him toward a featherweight world title shot.

Ramos (30-5, 14 KOs) captured the WBA super bantamweight title on July 9, 2011 in Atlantic City with a stunning one-punch knockout of Akifumi Shimoda. He lost the title the following January to Guillermo Rigondeaux via sixth-round knockout. Ramos has been on a hot streak since a 2015 knockout loss to Claudio Marrero, winning six in a row while campaigning at both super bantamweight and featherweight. He won a pair of fights in 2018, including an eight-round unanimous decision over Daniel Olea last September that streamed on ESPN+.

In other undercard action:

Javier Molina (18-2, 8 KOs), who represented the United States at the 2008 Olympics, will face knockout artist Abdiel Ramirez (24-3-1, 22 KOs) in a super lightweight bout scheduled for 10 or eight rounds. Ramirez is coming off a stunning knockout victory over Michael Perez on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza undercard Dec. 8 in New York City.

Detroit product and surging 130-pound contender Erick De Leon (18-0-1, 10 KOs) will fight Jose Luis Gallegos (16-5, 12 KOs) in a dual set for 10 or eight rounds. De Leon hasn’t fought since July 14 when he suffered a shoulder injury in a decision win versus Adrian Young.

Longtime welterweight contender Chris “The Heat” van Heerden (26-2-1, 12 KOs) will fight battle-tested veteran Mahonry Montes (35-8-1, 24 KOs) in a bout scheduled for 10 or eight rounds.

Top featherweight prospect Tyler McCreary (15-0, 7 KOs) will make his Top Rank debut against Roberto Castaneda (23-11-1, 16 KOs) in a contest scheduled for eight or six rounds.

David Kaminsky (3-0, 2 KOs), the 18-year-old former amateur standout, will fight Estevan Payan (1-6-1, 1 KO) in a four-round middleweight bout. Payan has also fought 30 times as a professional mixed martial artist.

Bobirzhan Mominov (9-0, 8 KOs) will aim for his fifth consecutive knockout against Jonathan Steele (9-2-1, 6 KOs) in a welterweight battle scheduled for six or eight rounds.

Lightweight prospect Eric Puente (1-0) will return in a four-rounder against Alejandro Lopez (1-3, 0 KOs).

To subscribe to ESPN+, visit www.espnplus.com.

Use the hashtag #PulevDinu to follow the action on social media.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC and Top Rank boxing events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.

Bogdan Dinu will take on Kubrat Pulev on March 23rd at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“After speaking with my co-promoter [Sorin Florea of Kings Promotion] in [Dinu’s native] Romania, it was more of a misunderstanding than them not wanting to fight,” Dinu promoter Greg Cohen said. “It was a language issue. We had been texting with each other. Once we got on the phone we were able to hash it out pretty quickly. We let Top Rank know and signed the contract. Dinu is looking forward to coming back to America to fight Pulev.

“If he beats Pulev, he writes his own ticket because it would be a huge win. I know they fought in the amateurs. Dinu is from Romania, Pulev is from Bulgaria. It’s like if it was New York versus New Jersey in the U.S. They’re very familiar with each other and Dinu is really confident.”

Kubrat Pulev will headline a Top Rank show on March 23rd in California, according to Dan Rafael of espm.com.

The card will take place at either The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, or the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California, but Pulev still needs an opponent.

First, a deal with fringe contender Robert Helenius (28-2, 17 KOs) fell through, and on Wednesday morning the same happened with Romania’s Bogdan Dinu (18-1, 14 KOs), who got destroyed in four rounds by Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller in his last fight in November.

Dinu promoter Greg Cohen told ESPN that even though he worked out a deal for the fight with Top Rank, Dinu’s management ultimately turned down the offer and he informed Top Rank chairman Bob Arum that Dinu was not going to fight.

Top Rank signed Pulev to a co-promotional deal with Epic Sports in December, and this will be his first bout under the agreement. Pulev (26-1, 13 KOs), 37, of Bulgaria, is one of the mandatory challengers for three-belt unified world titlist Anthony Joshua.

Kubrat Pulev will once again fight for a heavyweight title. Pulev won a 12-round unanimous decision over Hughie Fury in Sofia, Bulgaria to earn the IBF Mandatory heavyweight title.

In round two, Fury was cut over the left eye. Each guy landed some good shots, but it was Pulev who was more active and landed more power shots to win by scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 115-113.

Pulev of Bulgaria is 26-1. Fury of England is 21-2.

For immediate release: British heavyweight boxer Hughie Fury tipped the scales at 16 stone 12lbs (107KG) ahead of his highly anticipated IBF heavyweight final eliminator against Kubrat Pulev this weekend.

The 24-year-old weighed in 4lbs lighter than his opponent, with Pulev registering 17 stone 2lbs (109 KG) in weight.

The heavyweight duo will battle it out at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria on Saturday night, live on free to air Channel 5 from 9pm. The winner will earn the right to challenge Anthony Joshua for his heavyweight world title.

Also weighing in for the Saturday’s event was Hartlepool’s Savannah Marshall, who takes on Argentina’s Yanina Orozco. The 27-year-old weighed in at 11 stone 10lbs. Orozco weighed 11 stone 7lbs.

Hughie said: “It’s been a hard, hard training camp but I feel good. I feel ten times stronger now than I have in the build-up to previous fights. Now I just want to get in the ring and get the job done.”

Savannah said: “I’m focused and raring to go. I can’t wait to get in the ring and show everyone what I can do. This is a big opportunity for me, fighting for a title. Winning here would be incredibly special.”

For more information or current fight news, visit or www.hennessysports.com/ or follow @HennessySports on Twitter.

(Oct. 24, 2018) — From heavyweight to junior flyweight, a pair of world-class bouts with significant implications will be showcased in the coming days on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

In a 12-round heavyweight title elimination bout this Saturday, Oct. 27 from the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria, hometown favorite Kubrat Pulev (25-1, 13 KOs) will take on Hughie Fury (21-1, 11 KOs). The Pulev-Fury stream will begin at 4 p.m. ET.

The action continues from the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay City, Philippines, on Monday, Oct. 29 at 7 a.m. ET when Felix Alvarado (33-2, 29 KOs) battles Randy Petalcorin (29-2-1, 22 KOs) for the vacant IBF junior flyweight world title. In the co-feature, Giemel Magramo (21-1, 17 KOs) will defend the WBO Oriental flyweight belt in a 12-rounder against Sebastian Sanchez (11-5, 8 KOs).

Pulev and Fury are both former world title challengers seeking a second shot at the brass ring. Fury lost a narrow majority decision to Joseph Parker for the WBO title in September of last year. He rebounded with a fifth-round TKO against countryman Sam Sexton for the British title. Pulev put forth a courageous effort versus Wladimir Klitschko in a 2014 bid for the unified title, falling short via fifth-round knockout. He has won five in a row since the Klitschko loss, including impressive showings against Kevin Johnson, Dereck Chisora, and former world champion Samuel Peter.

Alvarado, a two-time world title challenger, is one of the fiercest punchers in the lighter weight classes. He is 15-0 with 14 knockouts since dropping a unanimous decision in a bid for Juan Carlos Reveco’s WBA flyweight title on June 6, 2014. Five months before the Reveco loss, Alvarado fell via unanimous decision to Kazuto Ioka for the WBA 108-pound title. Petalcorin, who will have the home canvas advantage, has won six straight since a controversial split decision defeat to Omari Kimweri.

To subscribe to ESPN+, visit www.plus.espn.com.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusives, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

London, UK – Fire & Fury” takes place this Saturday at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria. Ahead of the highly anticipated event, here is what Hughie Fury and Kubrat Pulev had to say:

Hughie Fury:

“Thank you to the people of Bulgaria for welcoming me. I’ve had a great reception – it’s a pleasure to be here again. It’s a country that I’ve been coming to since I was a teenager and I hope to come again soon.

“I can’t wait for the fight on Saturday. Camp’s been tough but all the hard work’s done now, now’s the easy bit. – the fight. It’s not long now, it’s only three days away. I’ve come over here to win. I’m prepared for whatever he [Pulev] throws at me, and if I have to go the distance to do that so be it. Believe me when I say it’s going to be one hell of a fight.

“I watched him [Pulev] in action at yesterday’s open workout and I don’t see anything to be worried about. I’ve done my preparation and I’ve got Plans A through to Z ready for whatever he comes at me with.”

Kubrat Pulev:

“This is the first time such a high profile fight has been held in Bulgaria. It’s never happened before. My opponent is very strong and It’s a very serious fight at world level.

“Camp has gone well and I’m well prepared. I’m in a concentrated place. I believe my years of experience has led me to this day where I have the maturity to manage fights to the end. I work very hard and this is what I’ve been doing the last three months with my coach and team. I have developed my strength this past year, not just physically but also mentally. I’m in the best shape I can.

“The arena will be full on Saturday night. I have to win to make the home ground proud. They are incredibly supportive of me.

Peter Fury:

”I watched the trailer video for this fight and saw Pulev as a young boy coming through the ranks and it’s the same story with our family. These men are warrior of this sport. I don’t like trash talking because I respect all fighters particularly ones at this level. These are fighting men and may the best man win.

“I want my son to face the best boxers. He’ll fight the best fighters anywhere on the planet because what I see today is plastic fighters in positions they shouldn’t be in because they don’t take proper challenges. My son will out it all on the line, believe me. He is a fighting man and has more heart than anyone.

Savannah Marshall:

“This is a great match up for me and for the travelling fans. Like me, she [Yanina] is my opponent is unbeaten so I’m excited to get out there, give it all I’ve got and get the win. I’m fighting for a belt so there’s a lot at stake.

“I’ve been in camp now for 14 weeks which has felt like a long time. But I’m looking forward to finally getting in the ring and showing what I’ve learnt in that time. All the training will be worth it.”

Yanine Orozco:

“I don’t know too much about Savannah but that doesn’t concern me. I’ve spent the time in the gym and I’m well prepared. On Saturday night you will see what I’m all about.”

Hennessy Sports CEO Mick Hennessy, promoter of the Fire & Fury event:

“This is an incredible fight. I think this is a fight worthy of a genuine world heavyweight title. I’d like to congratulate both fighters for taking this fight. It’s a great fight for everyone, especially the fans. This is broadcasting to a terrestrial audience in the UK, live on Channel 5 at 9pm on Saturday. It’s going out to a huge audience. It’s the kind of show that makes stars.

“For Hughie to be operating at this level at 24-years-old is phenomenal. Believe he’s the future of the heavyweight division and we should enjoy his journey to becoming heavyweight champion.

“The reception Hughie’s had in Bulgaria has also been phenomenal. The locals have given this young fighter a warm reception. We really do appreciate the how he’s received here in Sofia, in Plovdiv. The Bulgarian fans have really thrown their support behind Hughie.”

Having landed in Sofia on Saturday evening, British boxers Hughie Fury and Savannah Marshall took in the sights and sounds of Plovdiv- some 150km away in Southern Bulgaria on Monday afternoon, as they took time out from their preparations for Saturday’s ‘Fire & Fury’ event, which is live at 9pm on free to air Channel 5.

British heavyweight champion Fury, 24, and women’s super-middleweight sensation Marshall, 27, visited the ancient city- the second largest city in Bulgaria, taking in some of the cultural landmarks that reflect more than 2,000 years of history including the Roman Antique Theatre, Saint Ludvik Cathedral, Alyosha Monument and the Plovdiv Roman stadium.

After visiting the famous landmarks, the British pair turned their attention to how they could make their own history on Saturday night.

Hughie Fury said: “Since we arrived here on Saturday we’ve had such a warm and friendly welcome from the people of Sofia. They’re genuinely excited about the fight on Saturday. I know the majority of the fans out here will be supporting Pulev but that doesn’t faze me. I’m just going to do my thing and show them what I’m all about.”

Savannah Marshall said: “Bulgaria is a beautiful place. I’d like to get out and see a little bit more but I can’t take anything for granted, my focus is 100% on taking down Yanina Orozco this Saturday night.”

Fury takes on Bulgarian native Kubrat Pulev in an IBF Heavyweight Final Eliminator at the Armeec Arena on October 27. Marshall will face Argentina’s Yanina Orozco in a 10-round bout on the undercard.

For more information or current fight news, visit or www.hennessysports.com/ or follow @HennessySports on Twitter.

London, UK – Super-middleweight powerhouse Savannah Marshall will take on the determined, unbeaten Yanina Orozco in a 10 round intercontinental championship bout on the undercard of the ‘Fire & Fury’ event at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria on Saturday 27 October.

The 27-year-old Hartlepool native heads into the fight with a perfect 3-0 record and occupying seventh place in the women’s super-middleweight standings. Her Argentinian opponent also boasts an unbeaten record, although three places separate them in the division’s rankings with Orozco currently in 10th place.

With one unbeaten record sure to fall on the night, Savannah predicts a great fight for the fans. Speaking about her opponent Savannah said: “This is a great match up for me and for the travelling fans. Like me, my opponent is unbeaten so I’m excited to get out there, give it all I’ve got and get the win. There’s a lot at stake.

“I’ve been in camp now for 14 weeks which has felt like a long time. But I’m looking forward to finally getting in the ring and showing what I’ve learnt in that time. All the training will be worth it.”

Savannah trains alongside event headliner Hughie Fury at the Team Fury gym in Bolton under the watchful eye of Hughie’s father and trainer Peter Fury.

“Peter has so much knowledge and I enjoy the way he approaches training us,” said Savannah. “The way we train is all about learning, progressing and constantly moving forward, which has filled me with confidence going into this fight.”

In the main event of the evening, IBF #2-rated heavyweight contender Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev will face Britain’s IBF #3-rated Hughie Fury in a 12-round final elimination bout at the Arena Armeec in Pulev’s hometown of Sofia, Bulgaria. The winner of this bout will become the mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua’s IBF heavyweight title.

Fans in the UK will be able to watch the fight live on free to air Channel 5.

(October 18, 2018) Britain’s IBF #5-rated heavyweight contender Hughie Fury is putting the final touches on a “torturous” training camp and, with his team, will arrive in Sofia, Bulgaria, this Saturday.

On Saturday, October 27, Fury (21-1, 11 KOs) will face Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev (25-1, 13 KOs) in a 12-round elimination bout at the Arena Armeec in Pulev’s hometown of Sofia. The winner that night will become the first in line to face champion Anthony Joshua.

The event, entitled “Fire & Fury” will be presented by Ivaylo Gotzev and John Wirt’s Epic Sports and Entertainment, together with Fury’s promoter, Hennessey Sports, and will be broadcast live in the UK on Channel 5.

“I made a promise to beat Pulev in his own backyard and that’s what I’m going to do,” said a confident Fury. “Nobody else wanted this tough fight. That’s because they’re not future champions. I know what it takes and what you have to do to become the man. I don’t care if I fight Pulev in his own house. He’s in my way of what I want, and he’s got to go.”

Fury and father/trainer Peter Fury have been pushing it to the limit in their Manchester Gym, training twice a day, six days a week for up to three hours per session. But Fury, the current BBBofC British Heavyweight Champion, says all the work will soon be worth it.

“It will all be worth it when my hand is raised,” he continued. “There are no holes in my game right now. I’m at the top of my craft and once Pulev is eliminated, I’ll be coming for Anthony Joshua. He looked vulnerable in his last fight. I’m the one who will capitalize on those vulnerabilities!”

Despite his supreme confidence, defeating Pulev will be no easy feat for 24-year-old Fury. 37-year-old Pulev is one of the most popular athletes in all of Bulgaria, and a former two-time European and IBF International Heavyweight Champion. Pulev’s only career loss came in a challenge for the undisputed heavyweight championship against Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. Britain’s Dillian Whyte and Americans Jarell Miller and Dominic Breazeale all declined to face Pulev before Fury accepted.

“After I walk right into Pulev’s hometown and take him out, something no other heavyweight would even dare to try, everyone is going to be talking about me and Anthony Joshua. I can’t wait to get this job done and move on to the world championship.”

On Saturday, October 27, “Fire & Fury” will collide, as IBF #2-rated heavyweight contender Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev will face Britain’s IBF #5-rated Hughie Fury in a 12-round elimination bout at the Arena Armeec in Pulev’s hometown of Sofia, Bulgaria.

Pulev (25-1, 13 KOs) and Fury (21-1, 11 KOs) will be competing for the right to face the winner of the September 22 showdown between champion Anthony Joshua and challenger Alexander Povetkin.

The event, entitled “Fire & Fury” will be presented by Ivaylo Gotzev and John Wirt’s Epic Sports and Entertainment, together with Fury’s promoter, Hennessey Sports, and will be broadcast live in the UK on Channel 5.

One of the most popular athletes in all of Bulgaria, 37-year-old Pulev is on a five-fight winning streak, including a TKO 3 over former heavyweight champion Samuel Peter. Among his many distinctions, Pulev is a former two-time European and IBF International Heavyweight Champion. He stands 6’ 4 ½” and weighs in around 240 lbs. Pulev’s only career loss came in a challenge for the undisputed heavyweight championship against Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. Fury is the fourth opponent scheduled to face Pulev, as Britain’s Dillian Whyte and Americans Jarell Miller and Dominic Breazeale all declined the fight.

Pulev, who will be having his first bout since partnering with Epic Sports and Entertainment, says Fury better not be looking past him while preparing for this fight.

“The fact that Hughie Fury is coming to Bulgaria when many others ran away speaks volumes,” said Pulev. “I understand that he is very motivated because this is an eliminator fight for a chance at the world title. I suggest he stops thinking about the world title for a moment and come prepared for a real battle. I am already in beast mode and I’m hungry for my return in the ring!”

Fury hails from Manchester and is the current BBBofC British Heavyweight Champion and is trained by his father, Peter Fury. The 23-year-old stands 6’ 6” tall and also weighs in around 240 lbs. In September of 2017, Fury suffered his only career loss, a controversial majority decision to Joseph Parker for Parker’s WBO Heavyweight Championship.

“It’s taken a lot of time to make this fight happen and I want to thank all of those involved,” said Hughie Fury. “I want to fight for world titles and to do that I need to beat the guys at the top of the division. Kubrat Pulev is a serious fight for the mandatory position and I know I’ve got to be the real deal to beat him. I believe I’m going to do that in his back yard where others trembled at the thought of it.”

“We want to be involved in these big fight nights and to go up against the big names that lead the division,” added father and trainer Peter Fury. “To become a world heavyweight champion, you’ve got to overcome every challenge that’s put in front of you. And for Hughie that starts in Bulgaria in October.”

“In this day and age, when some promoters and their fighters opt for the safest bets, Hughie Fury has done the opposite,” said Ivaylo Gotzev of Fury, who has faced his own share of delays and disappointments on his way to this eliminator bout. “Fury has decided to step into the Lion’s Den, and fight Kubrat in his home town of Sofia. This matchup is intriguing, as two of the best in the division step up and face one another. We expect a great heavyweight battle – one that will decide one man’s destiny to fight for the most coveted title in the world – the Heavyweight Championship. To all of Team Fury – you are welcome in Bulgaria!”

Hennessy Sports CEO Mick Hennessy, promoter of Fury, said: “First and foremost I’d like to heap praise on my young fighter Hughie Fury. There’s no pantomime and no theatrics. He’s just a young man, full of respect for everyone he faces, and who believes in giving the fans proper fights and value for money. At just 23 years of age Hughie is a massive talent. He’s not perhaps got the plaudits he deserves, so this is his moment to make the boxing world really sit up and take notice of what he’s capable of.”

“I’d also like to thank my counterparts at Epic Sports & Entertainment for making this fight happen. It’s taken a lot to get to this point, but we were determined to give the fans a fight that they deserve. Both teams are excited about this one.”

The stacked International undercard, along with ticket details, will be revealed shortly.

Epic Sports & Entertainment, headed by former longtime Don King attorney John Wirt, won with a bid of $1,500,111 to easily beat two other bidders. Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, Whyte’s promoter, offered $831,111, while Pulev promoter Team Sauerland bid $801,305.

Pulev is entitled to 75 percent of the winning bid ($1,125,083.25), and Whyte will receive the remaining 25 percent ($375,027.75).