Anthony Joshua to take on Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Anthony Joshua

Nigerian-British boxer, Anthony Joshua, will fight Bulgarian, Kubrat Pulev, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20.

Pulev, 38, is the mandatory IBF challenger to take on Joshua, holder of WBA, IBF and WBO titles.

The fight will be Joshua’s first in the UK since defeating Alexander Povetkin at Wembley in September 2018.

Joshua won back the WBA, IBF and WBO belts with a unanimous points victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. last December in Saudi Arabia.

“I am happy to have the opportunity to show the world how strong I really am,” Pulev said.

Joshua, who was recently in Nigeria to trace his roots, was initially due to fight Pulev at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in October 2017 but the Bulgarian withdrew after suffering a shoulder injury in sparring, with Carlos Takam stepping in to replace him at 12 days’ notice.

Promoter, Eddie Hearn, had suggested a possible fight between both Brits, Joshua and Tyson Fury, after the latter beat Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC title in February.

But Wilder, an American, has triggered a rematch clause for a third bout before any potential fight between Fury and Joshua.

Pulev, a former European heavyweight champion, has suffered just one defeat in 29 bouts, a fifth-round knockout by Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.

In October 2018, he defeated Britain’s Hughie Fury on points in an IBF final eliminator in Bulgaria.

He emerged winner in his last bout in November by unanimous points’ victory against American Rydell Booker.