Anthony Joshua given two-week extension to finalise Kubrat Pulev deal with fight ‘almost certainly’ in UK
ANTHONY JOSHUA has been given two more weeks to nail down his mandatory world title defence against Kubrat Pulev.
And according to his promoter Eddie Hearn that fight will "almost certainly" be in the UK.
Joshua won back the WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles by easily outpointing Andy Ruiz Jr in their rematch in December.
He rectified the many wrongs that saw him stunned with a seventh-round KO loss six months earlier.
Pulev is the IBF's mandatory challenger, while the WBO are keen for AJ to fight their man Oleksandr Usyk.
And of course the boxing public would love to see Joshua fight the winner, or loser, of Tyson Fury versus Deontay Wilder II on February 22.
"We spoke to the camps and they basically said we need another two weeks and we'll have it finalised.
"Almost certainly that will be AJ's next fight and almost certainly in the UK.
"The main issue we have is Pulev wants to make as much money for that fight as he can.
"There isn't as much money for that fight in the UK as there is elsewhere, but AJ has given me the instruction that I boxed in New York, I boxed in Saudi, I would like to do this one in the UK.
"Spurs, Emirates, Cardiff, Twickenham, everywhere is in play, but most likely end of May, early June. Joshua-Pulev in the UK."
With Pulev seemingly getting his shot at Joshua, Usyk could well face the winner after that.
The Ukrainian ex-cruiserweight king will instead face Derek Chisora, 36, in March.