BoxRec

Kubrat Pulev’s comeback from a six-month suspension won’t come against world-rated contender.



Bulgaria’s Pulev has agreed to face veteran heavyweight Rydell Booker on November 9 as part of a card ESPN will televise from Fresno, California. The Pulev-Booker bout will be part of a broadcast that’ll feature WBO junior lightweight champion Jamel Herring, who’ll make his first title defense against mandatory challenger Lamont Roach.

Carl Moretti, vice president of boxing operations for Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., confirmed to BS.com on Tuesday that Pulev, who’s co-promoted by Top Rank, and Booker have agreed to box. ESPN.com first reported that their heavyweight bout was in the works.

The 38-year-old Pulev (27-1, 14 KOs) is the IBF’s No. 1 contender for a mandated shot at champion Andy Ruiz Jr. Ruiz – who also won the WBA, WBO and IBO titles from Anthony Joshua on June 1 – is contractually committed to an immediate rematch with Joshua.

The 38-year-old Booker (26-2, 13 KOs) tested unbeaten prospect Jermaine Franklin (20-0, 13 KOs), but he lost their 10-rounder by unanimous decision April 13 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The only other opponent to beat Booker was former three-division champion James Toney, who defeated him by unanimous decision in a 12-rounder 15 years ago.

Booker served nearly 12 years in prison on a drug-dealing conviction between the Detroit native’s losses to Toney and Franklin.

The bouts between Herring (20-2, 10 KOs), a former Marine from Coram, New York, and Roach (19-0-1, 7 KOs), of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and Pulev and Booker will be televised by ESPN from Chukchansi Park. That’s the home baseball stadium of the Fresno Grizzlies, the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate.

https://tinyurl.com/yyatecr8

Pulev expected to square off against Australia’s Mark De Mori, who ultimately turned down Top Rank’s offer because he considered it insufficient for facing a top-ranked opponent on ESPN. The 37-year-old De Mori (37-2-2, 33 KOs) has won seven straight fights, all by knockout, since former WBA champ David Haye knocked him out in the first round of Haye’s comeback bout in January 2016 at O2 Arena in London.

Considering pulev has guaranteed IBF shot, i agree with his past opponents and bagu dinu was really a solid opponent who also took on drug cheater jerrell miller ... but i don't approve this opponent .

I hope Pulev gets a cut or something.. because it seems to make him perform.. sense of urgency.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑10 Oct 2019, 10:05 I hope Pulev gets a cut or something.. because it seems to make him perform.. sense of urgency.

So true ... after pulev got cut, he fought deadly against bagu dinu. I never saw him fight like that , after losing a reckless fight to klitchko

Fight was just made official..

That’s the sound of the crowd going mild.

Herring was a marine? I'd never seen that mentioned before

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑24 Oct 2019, 02:10 Herring was a marine? I'd never seen that mentioned before

Was mentioned before his last fight.

Booker a few steps away from homeless. Kubrat by beats him like a heavy bag.

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑24 Oct 2019, 02:10 Herring was a marine? I'd never seen that mentioned before

YES !

They couldn't do any better than a guy who couldn't even get past Jermaine Franklin?

Booker doesn't win a round here, but he probably lasts the distance, and succeeds in stinking out the joint.

Wow.... top 10 to 20 guy against an old never was who is a journeyman level talent in his prime

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That's what happen after pulev never got credit beating chisora and hughie and both whyte/ Miller rejecting to fight him last year, so there is no point for him to take further risk for his IBF shot, for biased fans like you

I never blame the fighter for taking easy money. I blame ESPN for allowing this shit.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑24 Oct 2019, 18:54 They couldn't do any better than a guy who couldn't even get past Jermaine Franklin?

Booker doesn't win a round here, but he probably lasts the distance, and succeeds in stinking out the joint.

Pulev needs no assistance stinking a joint out.

Onetimeonly wrote: ↑25 Oct 2019, 14:55

gilgamesh wrote: ↑24 Oct 2019, 18:54 They couldn't do any better than a guy who couldn't even get past Jermaine Franklin?

Booker doesn't win a round here, but he probably lasts the distance, and succeeds in stinking out the joint.

Pulev needs no assistance stinking a joint out.

He certainly doesn't, but Booker will give him some anyway

gilgamesh wrote: ↑25 Oct 2019, 15:55

Onetimeonly wrote: ↑25 Oct 2019, 14:55

Pulev needs no assistance stinking a joint out.

He certainly doesn't, but Booker will give him some anyway

Lol, not on my TV!

Fight week.

ESPN vs. DAZN

Herring Jr. - Pulev - Roach vs. Youtubers.

What will you watch?

dickbelden wrote: ↑24 Oct 2019, 11:46

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑24 Oct 2019, 02:10 Herring was a marine? I'd never seen that mentioned before

YES !

There are no former Marines. Once a Marine, always a Marine

sturm vogel wrote: ↑24 Oct 2019, 08:41 Booker a few steps away from homeless. Kubrat by beats him like a heavy bag.

Harsh but LOL.

Herring vs Roach, Pulev vs Booker Final ESPN+ Presser Quotes

Jamel Herring to defend WBO junior lightweight title LIVE on ESPN+ Saturday evening (10 pm ET) from Fresno, Calif – No 1 heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev to put ranking on the line against Rydell Booker

Kubrat Pulev

“This is boxing. Nothing is sure, but I am here to fight, and I am here to win. That is why I prepared well, and I believe in myself. I know who I am. I’m one of the best in the heavyweight division. And, yeah, my opponent is good also, but I think I’m much, much better.”

“For me, this is one fight and more experience. I must stay in the ring and wait to fight the winner of Joshua and Ruiz. Who wins, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m now concentrated on Booker. He’s a serious opponent.”

Rydell Booker

“This {opportunity} means a lot. Everyone understands my story. I went away to prison for 12 years. In two years home, I’ve been very active. This fight couldn’t have come at a better time because I was just in camp with {Oleksandr} Usyk when I got the call. I left Usyk’s camp and went to Deontay Wilder’s camp, and so I stayed busy. And I get a lot of calls to go help the greats. I was just in camp with Anthony Joshua, learning something from him and vice versa. So I’ve been around the game 31 years, and I come to bring my experience and talents.”

“I don’t take nothing away from nobody’s talent because everybody has their own talent in certain ways. He hasn’t fought a heavyweight like me, slick as me. I understand he lost to {Wladimir} Klitschko. Klitschko was taught by a great who taught me and my coach, Emanuel Steward. They still don’t have the athleticism that I have. I’ll let my talents speak for itself.”
ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT[/b]
•Jamel Herring vs. Lamont Roach Jr., 12 rounds, Herring’s WBO junior lightweight world title
•Kubrat Pulev vs. Rydell Booker, 10 rounds, heavyweight

ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT
•David Kaminsky vs. Travis Jerig, 6/4 rounds, middleweight
•Robeisy Ramirez vs. Fernando Ibarra, 6 rounds, featherweight
•Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Albert Onolunose, 10 rounds, Alimkhanuly’s WBC Continental Americas and WBO Global middleweight titles
•Esquiva Falcao vs. Manny Woods, 10/8 rounds, middleweight
•Amir Imam vs. Marcos Mojica, 8 rounds, welterweight

OFF TV (After Herring-Roach)
•Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Aelio Mesquita, 8 rounds, lightweight

Herring vs. Roach ticket information

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Golden Boy, tickets are priced at $200, $96, $46 and $29 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased by visiting mpv.tickets.com, charge by phone at 559.320.TIXS (8497) or at the Chukchansi Park box office (open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m PT to 5 p.m. PT). In honor of Veterans Day and the Marine Corps Birthday, any active or retired service members will receive up to four free tickets to the event by presenting their military ID at the Chukchansi Park box office (while supplies last).

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #HerringRoach to join the conversation on social media.