Kubrat Pulev set for surprise third world title shot
Two-time heavyweight title challenger Kubrat Pulev is looking to make it third time lucky as he bids for a world title once again, returning to fight in his home country of Bulgaria for the first time in six contests.
Pulev lost out to Wladimir Klitschko back in 2014, suffering the first defeat of his career with a fifth-round stoppage loss, and returning home without the IBF title.
Six years later, Pulev had achieved eight more wins including triumphs over the likes of Derek Chisora and Hughie Fury, but once again was unable to obtain heavyweight gold, with Anthony Joshua knocking him out this time to defend his unified WBA, WBO and IBF belts.
Now he has a more achievable target in front of him, being tasked with the current WBA (Regular) champion, Manuel Charr, who was recently reinstated as the title-holder despite not fighting since 2022.
‘The Cobra’ will seek to take advantage of Charr’s inactivity next month, with a shot at the winner of Fury-Usyk looming, as confirmed by WBA European President, Mariana Borissova, in an interview with the Bulgarian News Agency.
“The WBA [regular] world title has been confirmed by the organization. We are now awaiting the appointment of the refereeing team for the match. We all realize how big the opportunity of this fight is for both Mr. Charr and Mr. Pulev, especially with the upcoming heavyweight fights of Anthony Joshua on March 8 and the match between Usyk and Fury in the near future,”
Charr-Pulev will take place on March 30th in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, in what will be one of the oldest combined aged title fights of all-time (81), topping a bill that will also feature Pulev’s cruiserweight brother, Tervel Pulev.