EDDIE HEARN HAS told Sky Sports that he expects to finalise a fight between Anthony Joshua and IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev following the retirement of Wladimir Klitschko this morning.
The Ukrainian great hung up his gloves after a glittering 21-year professional career which culminated in arguably his greatest fight, if not result, back in April, as Joshua climbed from the canvas to best the 41-year-old in a pulsating Wembley scrap.
Klitschko’s decision to pursue what he described as a “second career” put to bed a prospective rematch with Watford’s Joshua, which for some time had been perceived as a done deal for 11 November in Las Vegas.
It leaves Joshua without an opponent for the autumn or winter, but with mandatory challenger Pulev waiting in the wings, promoter Hearn is hardly panicked by the prospect. Indeed, he’s a tad relieved.
“When the IBF cleared the Klitschko rematch it was under the proviso that if it’s not Klitschko it must be Pulev, so we’ve already got talks in place with Kalle Sauerland,” the 38-year-old promoter told Sky Sports News.
“Part of me is quite pleased we can move forward and draw a line under this. There was always the worry with Klitschko’s age that we could announce the fight and he could get injured in camp, various bits and pieces like that.
“At Anthony’s stage of his career, as young as he is, he’s really raring to go already. He’s been ticking over in the gym, he wants to start his camp and he’s been calling me every day saying ‘will he take the fight?’
“Now finally we’ve got an answer, so I think fight fans are going to see an announcement sooner than they would have seen with a Klitschko fight.
“A line’s drawn, we can move on with our mandatory challenger and move towards more belts in the division.”
I heard the news this morning from Bernd Boente that Wladimir Klitschko has decided to retire from boxing. We wish him all the success 👊🏼
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) August 3, 2017
Hearn echoed the sentiments of the boxing world in wishing Klitschko well in his retirement, also noting the bizarre nature of Klitschko bowing out on a loss and yet in doing so garnering more credit than he did from countless career victories.
It was the almost poetic nature of this passing of the torch which Hearn believes ultimately swayed the future Hall of Famer toward retirement as opposed to another grueling 12-week training camp and fight.
“I think that’s probably one of the driving factors that’s made him say ‘I’m going to bow out after an epic night.
The way he acted in and out of the ring – he’s a really nice man. Part of me, as much as I wanted to go to Las Vegas for this fight, is also pleased for Wladimir Klitschko that he can leave this sport with a very healthy bank account and, more importantly, with his health intact after a great career.
In truth, Bulgarian Pulev should pose no real challenge to the new heavyweight king. The 34-year-old was dropped four times and stopped inside five rounds by Klitschko himself in 2014.
He and Joshua share one common opponent, American also-ran Kevin Johnson, who was blitzed in two rounds by Joshua in 2015 before being dominated to the final bell by Pulev in a stay-busy fight back in April.
The 36-year-old ‘Cobra’ does however sport a solid resumé, holding wins over fringe contenders in Alexander Dimitrenko, Alexander Ustinov, Tony Thompson and Dereck Chisora.
As an amateur, he won bronze at the 2005 World Championships and gold at the 2008 Europeans.
As to where his fight with Joshua will take place is, for now, anybody’s guess, but Vegas seems a stretch given Pulev’s relative anonymity Stateside.
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Hopefully the trio make it! They are an integral part of our Six Nations squad. Keep it up lads!!!
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: lowe and Dan are part of the 6 nations squad but connors is nowhere near that squad. Hodnet, timoney, pendergast are all way ahead of him. Not to mention with conan going to 8 we have doris who can play 7 as can POM. Infact I’d rather see Scott penny get time for leinster than will.
@chris mcdonnell: I completely agree. I’d ate my own underpants if Connors is named tomorrow
@Niall Boyle: hopefully those pants are in better condition than the pair I wore on Sunday
@Niall Boyle: I’ll hold you to that
@chris mcdonnell: with the best will in the world POM cannot play 7 in the 6 Nations.
Hope they don’t rush Sheehan back this Saturday. 50 mins against the Stormers on the 25th of Jan and then into the 6 nations squad. Connors now needs to stay fit for the rest of the season if he wants to ever make an Ireland squad, at nearly 29 time is running out
Lowe is too slow. Osborne a better long term bet.
@conor carroll: Osbourne isn’t a wing, he can do the job but he’s a 12 or 15. Lowe being “slow” didn’t stop him being named in the world XV this year or being one of our best performing players.
@conor carroll: not on the wing he isnt,hes not a winger and it showed on sunday,great 12 and 15,lowe though offers far more on the left wing,breaks tackles,carries,big left boot and has vastly improved his defence,also always goes hunting for the ball and gets stuck in to mauls and excellent under the high ball,pace is not everything.
@conor carroll: Interesting statement. If you actually watched rugby you’d see that Lowe is probably quicker than Osborne in a foot race. Osborne has many, many strengths. Pace isn’t one of them.
@conor carroll: Nash is the pace merchant played all the 6 nations last year
Honestly, is Lowe still a starter for Leinster? I just really can’t see how you leave out Jamie Osborne even if he was rusty on the wing at the weekend, like his skill level for that try was ridiculous. He also has just a big left boot as Lowe.
@Eoin H: lowe is the left winger for both ireland and leinster.
@Eoin H: Osborne isn’t a winger and should only be playing there in a pinch. Lowe is also the better player generally right now
@Gary D: He definitely isn’t the better all round player generally, no way
@Eoin H: Well he has been a starter for the last 7.5 years. And he was a starter right up until his injury. Osborne is far far better utilised at 12 or 15. Let’s just play lads in their correct positions.
@Eoin H: I partially agree with you. Osbourne has an ability to hold on to passes that others would knock on and is too good to leave out of the team. Lowe is a try scoring machine as well though so not sure I’d leave him out either. I’d probably play Osbourne at 12 and leave Henshaw on the bench for impact