Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev - 12 December 2020

[maverick23]

He won’t leave Sky. Matchroom are heavy interlinked with them on several different sports but I’m sure they’ll use the DAZN connection to leverage a better deal.

All AJ fights will be PPV. Just like Fury’s (even when he fought Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin) fights. For me the undercard is pretty good (no idea how Ashfaq has got on it considering he fought recently and lost) but just a bit annoyed at them keeping the price at £25.

Sorry disagree I think he will leave ... Eddie behind the mask in my view is ruthless

Agree with Spud. Sky not as invested in Boxing as when Barney Francis was at the helm. No longer recognized as its own department, swallowed up into mulitsports. Never mind the spin from Sky and Eddie, DAZN are going to disrupt the market and they will pay big for AJ. Hearn knows this and will always allow AJ the best deal therefore if he wants to stay with AJ and AJ goes to DAZN Eddie will follow.

What will happen to Matchroom's other sports though? I presume Matchroom can work across broadcasters (they already do Sky and ITV etc).

I disagree but I guess we’ll have to see what happens. Sky Sports have been a great partner for Matchroom and vice-versa. I can’t see it ending but I can see Eddie trying to get more out of Sky.

DAZN already pay a good wedge for the non-U.K. rights to AJ. Sky won’t want to lose AJ (so may even reduce their take % on the PPVs) and AJ’s always struck me as someone who’s fairly loyal so I can’t see him wanting to move from Sky either.

Re: other sports, it depends how hard DAZN want to attack the U.K. market. They’ve already got rights packages to non U.K. markets for certain darts and snooker events but they’d need to stump up a lot of money to get the U.K. darts rights off Sky and, again, I can’t see it happening.

Happy to proven wrong though.

[maverick23]

He won’t leave Sky. Matchroom are heavy interlinked with them on several different sports but I’m sure they’ll use the DAZN connection to leverage a better deal.

All AJ fights will be PPV. Just like Fury’s (even when he fought Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin) fights. For me the undercard is pretty good (no idea how Ashfaq has got on it considering he fought recently and lost) but just a bit annoyed at them keeping the price at £25.

Sorry disagree I think he will leave ... Eddie behind the mask in my view is ruthless

Agree with Spud. Sky not as invested in Boxing as when Barney Francis was at the helm. No longer recognized as its own department, swallowed up into mulitsports. Never mind the spin from Sky and Eddie, DAZN are going to disrupt the market and they will pay big for AJ. Hearn knows this and will always allow AJ the best deal therefore if he wants to stay with AJ and AJ goes to DAZN Eddie will follow.

What will happen to Matchroom's other sports though? I presume Matchroom can work across broadcasters (they already do Sky and ITV etc).

I listened to your interview with Frank earlier that was posted yesterday. I’m surprised how worked up he his considering what Eddie said. Eddie saying he wasn’t sure it was a fractured eye socket wasn’t really necessary but also surprising how much it’s wound up Frank. Particularly given how Frank was singing after Dillian’s loss to Povetkin and what he said after AJ lost to Ruiz.

Also I think Frank was wrong when he claimed Eddie said ‘they were lying about it’. I haven’t heard or seen that anywhere.

[dbf]

Sorry disagree I think he will leave ... Eddie behind the mask in my view is ruthless

Agree with Spud. Sky not as invested in Boxing as when Barney Francis was at the helm. No longer recognized as its own department, swallowed up into mulitsports. Never mind the spin from Sky and Eddie, DAZN are going to disrupt the market and they will pay big for AJ. Hearn knows this and will always allow AJ the best deal therefore if he wants to stay with AJ and AJ goes to DAZN Eddie will follow.

What will happen to Matchroom's other sports though? I presume Matchroom can work across broadcasters (they already do Sky and ITV etc).

I listened to your interview with Frank earlier that was posted yesterday. I’m surprised how worked up he his considering what Eddie said. Eddie saying he wasn’t sure it was a fractured eye socket wasn’t really necessary but also surprising how much it’s wound up Frank. Particularly given how Frank was singing after Dillian’s loss to Povetkin and what he said after AJ lost to Ruiz.

Also I think Frank was wrong when he claimed Eddie said ‘they were lying about it’. I haven’t heard or seen that anywhere.

Not my interview, as Im not Danny Flexen (dbfflex) but I agree with your comments!

[Ricky]

This fight is a joke. Pulev is a washed up bum.

[THEBUTCH]

Joshua will need to turn this into a brawl at times and change the tempo, Pulev is organised and very well schooled. "If" Pulev can gain some control of the fight it will become a taxing assignment for Joshua.

Fortunately the power is with Joshua too, so he has the get out of jail card to play if Pulev does establish a lead.

Looking forward to this title defence, certainly more so than Brezeale, Molina, Parker, Takam and Ruiz.

[Cyclops]

This fight is a joke. Pulev is a washed up bum.

I respectfully disagree, sir.

[DrDuke]

Pulev hasn't shown any signs of being washed up yet. He isn't a bum either, today he's around top 10.

However, it's hard to imagine him not ending up KOed against Joshua.

[Ricky]

Pulev hasn't shown any signs of being washed up yet. He isn't a bum either, today he's around top 10.

However, it's hard to imagine him not ending up KOed against Joshua.

Watch has last 2 fights, particularly the Bogdan Dinu one. He past it, and never particularly good when he wasn't.

[oogiebe]

Pulev hasn't shown any signs of being washed up yet. He isn't a bum either, today he's around top 10.

However, it's hard to imagine him not ending up KOed against Joshua.

Watch has last 2 fights, particularly the Bogdan Dinu one. He past it, and never particularly good when he wasn't.

Pulev is certainly past it. and the 'it' was never that good.

[margaret thatcher]

Pulev's not terrible, if wilder and fury beat him he'd be their 2nd and 3rd best guys they've beaten. good jab (he showed the difference vs a hughie's air jab), but overall a very hard watch most of the time and i think tailor made for AJ---should be flatten job within 5.

[oogiebe]

Pulev's not terrible, if wilder and fury beat him he'd be their 2nd and 3rd best guys they've beaten. good jab (he showed the difference vs a hughie's air jab), but overall a very hard watch most of the time and i think tailor made for AJ---should be flatten job within 5.

None of the above says very much. Weak era.

[Cyclops]

Does anyone really see a pulev victory? If so how?

I don't think he'll win, I think he'll get KO'd.

However, for arguments sake: decent boxer, methodical, breaks opponents down late or wins on points, has decent names on his record (guys who are essentially gatekeepers but still, better than say Breazeale or Molina), decent jab, decent chin, quite a big bloke, only ever beaten once by a prime Wladimir who he was prepared to go to war with, physique in the past couple of years suggests he's hit the TRT at the very least... Joshua struggled a little with Povetkin before taking him out, and I'd argue Pulev isn't as good as prime Povetkin but Povetkin was really on the decline in the AJ bout, despite scalping Whyte recently. Pulev is also a big lad and quite strong (I can't remember if he has a decent inside game but then I can't remember if Joshua has one either as the last time he actually gave away his reach and distance he got spangled by a porky shortass and fought on the outside in the rematch).

I think AJ should win, and an early or mid rounds KO should put him firmly back in the picture as the definite number 2 in my estimation. I'm just saying, pre-Ruiz, I wouldn't have even entertained the idea of Pulev being competitive. But now I think he might give AJ some issues. It's entirely possible.

[margaret thatcher]

Pulev's not terrible, if wilder and fury beat him he'd be their 2nd and 3rd best guys they've beaten. good jab (he showed the difference vs a hughie's air jab), but overall a very hard watch most of the time and i think tailor made for AJ---should be flatten job within 5.

None of the above says very much. Weak era.

oh of course, wasnt trying to rim job the dood or anything, i don't think he's particularly bad or good as a mando challenger

[Cyclops]

Weak era.

Whether it's weak or not is up for debate, but it's really entertaining. I'm pretty sure this era will be remembered quite fondly.

[oogiebe]

Pulev's not terrible, if wilder and fury beat him he'd be their 2nd and 3rd best guys they've beaten. good jab (he showed the difference vs a hughie's air jab), but overall a very hard watch most of the time and i think tailor made for AJ---should be flatten job within 5.

None of the above says very much. Weak era.

oh of course, wasnt trying to rim job the dood or anything, i don't think he's particularly bad or good as a mando challenger

[CaptainSpacerod]

“Spangled by a porky shortass “

[Jimmy2020]

Ricky is right on this one. Pulev is made for Joshua at this point in time. He comes forward, is easy to hit and has old legs. This era of heavyweights has zero depth. Joshua wins early.

[DrDuke]

Pulev hasn't shown any signs of being washed up yet. He isn't a bum either, today he's around top 10.

However, it's hard to imagine him not ending up KOed against Joshua.

Watch has last 2 fights, particularly the Bogdan Dinu one. He past it, and never particularly good when he wasn't.

He had some troubles with Dinu, but probably it was a matter of underestimating a mismatched opponent. Pulev dealed with him anyway.

[dbf]

Still not sure if Joshua is over the Ruiz 1 defeat. The rematch, a year ago, he had a massive ring and danced around like a scared man at times. Ruiz was woeful but still managed some success. Granted Andy has much faster hands than Pulev but I was concerned at how cautious Joshua was.

Pulev is too old now to capitalize on this but I think AJ may still be cautious in this one, despite the PR machine telling us otherwise.

Interesting fight in some aspects but I feel this will be a win for AJ.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Still not sure if Joshua is over the Ruiz 1 defeat. The rematch, a year ago, he had a massive ring and danced around like a scared man at times. Ruiz was woeful but still managed some success. Granted Andy has much faster hands than Pulev but I was concerned at how cautious Joshua was.

Pulev is too old now to capitalize on this but I think AJ may still be cautious in this one, despite the PR machine telling us otherwise.

Interesting fight in some aspects but I feel this will be a win for AJ.

I think AJ has seen Wlad KO Pulev 6-7 years ago. And he’s gonna follow. He may be cautious, but he’s gonna try streamrolling him.

Pulev has said he’s seen where he can upset AJ too, so it could be an all out affair if they both stick to their words.

[Jimmy2020]

Tickets have gone on sale at regular prices and obviously sold out. Be interesting to see what the resale prices climb to.

Could the good people at Matchroom (theoretically) advertise the tickets at regular prices, notionally offer them for sale, buy them personally, list them at resale prices?

[JimJim2009]

“Spangled by a porky shortass “

Wish we lived in a world where the colour commentator could come out with something like that live on air.

[maverick23]

Tickets have gone on sale at regular prices and obviously sold out. Be interesting to see what the resale prices climb to.

Could the good people at Matchroom (theoretically) advertise the tickets at regular prices, notionally offer them for sale, buy them personally, list them at resale prices?

Apparently you can’t resell them as they’re doing ID checks on the door compared to original buyer.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tickets have gone on sale at regular prices and obviously sold out. Be interesting to see what the resale prices climb to.

Could the good people at Matchroom (theoretically) advertise the tickets at regular prices, notionally offer them for sale, buy them personally, list them at resale prices?

Apparently you can’t resell them as they’re doing ID checks on the door compared to original buyer.

You I heard that too.

[cormack]

This fight is a joke. Pulev is a washed up bum.

not according the oracle that is Bob Arum !