Boxing’s heavyweight division is to heat up even more this summer, highlighted by a third fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, and Anthony Joshua defending his belts against Kubrat Pulev.
Joshua and Pulev are to go first, meeting on June 20 in the first boxing bouts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Joshua, who reclaimed his piece of the heavyweight title in December last year against Andy Ruiz Jr, would be fighting at home in England for the first time in two years.
Photo: AFP
The date for Fury and Wilder is more fluid, although promoter Bob Arum said that he is looking at July 18 at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas.
That is the venue where Fury last month stopped Wilder in the seventh round of their title rematch in a dominating performance that cemented his status on top of the heavyweight division.
“Nothing is set in stone, but that’s certainly the date we’re talking about,” Arum said on Monday. “We have to meet with the Wilder camp and everybody else and zero in on it, but right now that’s the date we’re looking at.”
On Monday, promoter Eddie Hearn announced the Joshua-Pulev fight, with Joshua meeting the once-beaten Bulgarian before what is expected to be 70,000 fans at the new stadium.
“A spectacular stadium has been built in north London and I’m honored to bring the boxing community from all over the world to witness us make history with the stadium’s first heavyweight world title fight,” Joshua said. “The belts go back up in the air and nothing will stop me from being victorious.”
Joshua would defend his piece of the heavyweight title against Pulev, whose only loss was to former champion Wladimir Klitschko nearly six years ago.
It would be a second try at a world title by Pulev, who has won eight straight since being stopped by Klitschko.
Arum — promoter for Pulev and Fury — said that the two fights could lead to a heavyweight unification fight by the end of the year.
“What we’re trying to do is, by the end of the year in some manner, shape or form, have a unified heavyweight champion — one champion for the entire division,” Arum said. “It would certainly help the image of boxing.”
Last month, Fury staked his claim to being the best heavyweight when he knocked down Wilder twice before stopping him in the seventh round in Las Vegas.
Wilder last week said he had no intention of delaying a third fight.
“I’m a warrior and I’m ready to go again, but we’re going to change a lot of things in camp,” Wilder said.
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