The heavyweight division is currently staggered with umpteen matchups to determine the best in the unit. However, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are in a league of their own, since they can bag a fight against each other by winning their upcoming contests.
The much-anticipated British showdown has always been touted as the biggest event in the history of boxing. However, veteran promoter Bob Arum doesn’t see that happening. Joshua and Fury need to surpass their upcoming adversaries to secure the fight. The Top Rank promoter believes that Joshua will lose against Kubrat Pulev on December 12.
That said, he has advised Tyson Fury to opt for the trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder if ‘AJ’ fails to defend his titles. It might be too early to predict, but Arum has appeared confident while making his picks.
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While most of the boxing community has written off the trilogy between Wilder and Fury, Bob Arum is optimistic about it. He has advised the fans to remain patient and see what happens.
Bob Arum favors Kubrat Pulev over Anthony Joshua
The 88-year-old connected with Fight Hype.com to shed light on the ongoing scenarios of the heavyweight division.
Talking about the possible matchups, Arum said, “I think the third Wilder fight is going to happen because I think Pulev is going to knock the stuffings out of Joshua and then Fury is going to look for Wilder for that third fight because it’s the biggest fight out there. So let’s be patient. Let’s see what happens.”
He added, “Fury is fighting December 5. Joshua is fighting a week after. I believe Pulev wins that fight and if Pulev wins that fight. There’s’ no Joshua. So, it’s obviously Fury and Wilder are the biggest heavyweight fight.”
Meanwhile, Arum cannot write off Joshua instantly from the title mix. Boasting the heavyweight world titles, he is still one of the best and has all the chances of defeating Pulev. Thus, Arum doesn’t want to demean the Brit’s abilities.
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He said, “I don’t know if I am underestimating or overestimating. I think Pulev is going to beat him. If Joshua wins, then okay. It’s a different discussion, and then obviously if Fury wins December 5, Joshua wins. The biggest fight out there is Joshua and Fury.”
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It will be an action-packed year ending for the heavyweight division with several matchups set to take place. The outcome will help to draft fresh possibilities for the next year, putting the title fights in the picture once again.
What do you make of Bob Arum’s comments?