Anthony Joshua to fight Kubrat Pulev in Croatia’s Pula Arena?

Pula Arena

ZAGREB, 7 May 2020 – Croatia’s stunning Pula Arena has been suggested as the venue for Anthony Joshua’s world heavyweight title defence against Kubrat Pulev, Sky Sports reports. 

Joshua and Pulev were scheduled to fight in London on 20 June at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but that plan had been scrapped because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With a location being sought for the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed to Sky Sports that Saudi Arabia plus two other overseas territories had been in contact to host it.

“For our part, we are discussing Croatia. There is a unique Roman stadium ‘Pula Arena’ and we are in active conversation,” Pulev’s manager Ivaylo Gotsev told local Bulgarian media, before adding.

“We like this variant because it is in Europe, in the middle of the continent. The arena itself predisposes to an unprecedented event in our times. There must be mutual consent. We want the conditions and rules to be favourable for both parties. Hearn is talking about the Middle East and we have left it to him to communicate in that direction. Bulgaria it cannot be, because Joshua will not agree. He wanted to be home, but force majeure led to a change.”

Pula Arena

Pulev’s team added that the fight would most probably take place in August or September.

Apart from hosting concerts from the likes of Luciano Pavarotti, Sting, Elton John, and Tom Jones, Pula Arena has hosted an ice hockey match and also a football match featuring former Bayern Munich and Croatia stars last year. 

Hearn is also the promoter of Croatian boxer Filip Hrgovic.