Anthony Joshua has been issued a warning by Bulgarian heavyweight Kubrat Pulev as the pair prepare to meet in June with AJ putting his WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight titles on the line. Pulev is Joshua’s mandatory IBF challenger after winning his last eight fights since losing to Wladimir Klitschko in 2014 – his only defeat to date.
Joshua was supposed to fight Pulev in October 2017, but the Sofia resident failed a drugs test meaning Carlos Takam was drafted in at short notice to take the bout in Cardiff.
After losing to Klitschko and failing a drugs test in the build-up to Joshua, Pulev has earned himself a third shot at a world title, and he insists he means business.
“Calm down champ, I see that you are very worried to fight away from home and you are absolutely right to be,” Pulev wrote on social media.
“But rest assured, if necessary I’m ready to come to London and bust you up in front of your own fans!
“Until then, tell Mr. Hearn not to get ahead of himself, we do not have a deal yet!”
Hearn has been talking up a potential unification fight for Joshua against the winner of Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury should he overcome his probable bout with Pulev.
Wilder vs Fury will take place in Vegas on February 22, and although a venue is yet to be confirmed for Joshua vs Pulev yet, the frontrunner is the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London.
Last month, Pulev posted a picture on his Instagram hinting that the fight could take place at Besiktas’ Vodafone Park Stadium in Istanbul, and although AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn talked up a host of potential venues he did reveal that Joshua wanted the fight to be in his home city of London.
“We’ve had offers in from the Far East, Middle East, Africa, America, Turkey,” Hearn told Sky Sports News.
“He’s made it very clear to me – ‘I want to come home. I want to box in London next. I’ve been to Madison Square Garden, I’ve been to Saudi Arabia, bring me home. Forget the other offers, bring me home.'”
“He wants to fight in London in June. We’re on the verge of making that happen now. Spurs is the front runner and that’s what he’s asked me to do. We’ll be delivering that for him.”
Last June, Joshua’s banana skin came in New York when Andy Ruiz Jr knocked him out, though he recovered to defeat the Mexican-American in a rematch in Saudi Arabia in December.
And this June he looks set to face Pulev in north London as he seeks to defend his titles against the Bulgarian and then Oleksandr Usyk before a major showdown with either Fury or Wilder next year.