Anthony Joshua to take on Kubrat Pulev in the UK this December
- Anthony Joshua will defend his titles against Kubrat Pulev in the UK despite Govt canceling return of crowds
- The Government directed fans will not return to sporting events in October
- The heavyweight clash will take place behind closed doors
- Mental Health and Psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic
Anthony Joshua to take on Kubrat Pulev in the UK this December.
The heavyweight clash between Joshua and Pulev is set to take place in December despite the government’s directive that crowds will not be allowed back in sporting grounds.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had been working in the hope that the heavyweight world title fight would take place on December 12 at The O2 in front of upwards of 5,000 spectators as part of the phased reintegration of crowds at live sport.
Despite the hefty financial implications of having no gate income to pay a fighter whose purses top eight figures, Hearn is adamant all his scheduled shows will go ahead.
Hearn said:
‘Obviously today’s announcement is a massive challenge for everyone in sport.
‘Our intention now is carry on with all our scheduled events. Clearly the finances are affected by not having crowds, even smaller crowds, but we’re working to keep our schedule. That includes Joshua.
‘You have two options – cancel or go ahead, quite possibly without a crowd. You’d still hope that by December you might have some back but you can’t plan on that now.
‘We’ll go ahead in December for Joshua because it’s been a year since he fought Andy Ruiz and he needs to fight.’
