Sport1 min(s) read
Published 13:58 13 Dec 2020 GMT
For a brief moment on Saturday night, all talk of an undisputed bout between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury for all the heavyweight marbles was put to one side.
Joshua had to center his laser-like focus on a more immediate challenge - that of Kubrat Pulev, the veteran Bulgarian heavyweight with just one defeat on his impressive CV.
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After a fractious weigh-in that saw Pulev continually goad Joshua, fireworks were anticipated by many from the first bell, but instead a first round of extreme caution from both men followed.
It wasn't long, though, before AJ got down to work and did what he does best: land heavy, punishing combinations on his opponent. Pulev was floored in the third round but recovered bravely to enjoy his best spell of the fight before ultimately being finished in the ninth.
Joshua jolted Pulev's head back with a series of spiteful uppercuts, sending the Bulgarian to the canvas. Though Pulev bravely rose to his feet, a thunderous one-two combination from AJ ensured that the night ended in emphatic fashion, with Pulev sprawled on the deck, limbs akimbo.
As AJ swaggered back to his corner in familiar fashion, tongues had already been set wagging once again over one of the most anticipated fights in boxing history.
Indeed, Tyson Fury himself wasted no time in calling out Anthony Joshua for the undisputed fight, taking to Instagram page to share a video of himself calling for the bout alongside the caption, "@anthonyjoshua it’s a matter of time..... ⏰ ⏰ ⏰ I’ll spank you like I did @bronzebomber 2/3 rounds. #YOUBUMSOSER #letsgetiton"
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In the immediate aftermath of his bout with Pulev, AJ told Sky Sports:
"I started this game in 2013. I've been chasing all the belts. I've been dealing with mandatories.
"Of course I want the challenge. It's not about the opponent, it's about the legacy and the belt. Whoever has got the belt, I would love to compete with them. If that is Tyson Fury, let it be Tyson Fury. It's no big deal.
"It's one fight at a time, picking them off one by one. That's all it's about for me. I've got to stay focused."
Meanwhile, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn told the broadcaster that there has been "a lot of talk" about the undisputed bout.
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"As he said, it's less talk, more action. Since he came into the office, he wanted to be the undisputed champion of the world.
"We're going to be friendly, we're going to be nice. We know what we have to do. Starting from tomorrow, we make the Tyson Fury fight straight away.
"It's the only fight to be made in boxing. It's the biggest fight in boxing. It's the biggest fight in British boxing history.
"I know he [Joshua] wants it. He is the best heavyweight in the world, I promise you. He'll break him down, he'll knock him out, but for me, less talk, more action.
"We know what we want to do. It's about legacy and we will get it done."
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Tyson Fury's promoter in the United States, Bob Arum of Top Rank, took to Twitter to call the undisputed fight with Joshua "the biggest Heavyweight championship fight since Ali-Frazier in 1971".
He wrote:
"It looks like the stage is set for the biggest Heavyweight championship fight since Ali-Frazier in 1971, when @Tyson_Fury meets @anthonyfjoshua for the undisputed crown. We at Top Rank will start on Monday working to put that fight together."
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The monumental heavyweight clash would represent one of the biggest bouts in boxing's history, and by far and away the biggest fight involving British fighters.
