Team Pulev Not Worried About COVID-19
For some individuals, when they get a goal in mind, they intend on accomplishing that task regardless of the obstacles in the way. At the moment, this appears to be the mindset of Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev (28-1, 14 KO’s). Pulev is currently unified world heavyweight champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua’s (23-1, 21 KO’s) mandatory challenger and he wants his title shot at all costs.
The two were scheduled to go head-to-head on June 20 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, that was before COVID-19 forced governing bodies to require their citizenry to adhere to a self-quarantine mandate. As a result, countless businesses and virtually all sporting events have been indefinitely shutdown, if not flat-out cancelled. Although, these pertinent realities of the day hold little weigh for Team Pulev.
THE HUSTLE DON’T STOP
In an effort to push through with the fight, Pulev’s promoter, John Wirt, reached out to Team Joshua in order to make their case. Not only is the Cobra supportive of staging the bout without a crowd present, he and Wirt believe that it would provide a much needed distraction for all the boxing fans cooped up at home.
While some might scoff at the notion of proceeding with the fight minus spectators, Wirt points to the fact some sporting events have preceded even in the face of the COVID-19 protocols.
“The truth is that soccer is still being played in stadiums in Europe, the WWE had a PPV event last weekend in the United States. The German soccer league announced [Tuesday] their plans to start playing soccer soon and Major League Baseball has discussed plans to hold a modified season in Arizona.”
“People need entertainment, and sports specifically, while being cooped up inside for this long. You can catch a fever from COVID-19, but you can also get a bad case of cabin fever if you don’t take care of your mental health…Safety is our number one priority, but it’s now time to separate the boys from the men. The show must go on. We cannot let fear stand in the way of our very existence.”
“…A 15-minute rapid [coronavirus] test is now readily available and soon antibody testing and certification will exist. While it is clearly not practical to test 70,000 fans coming into a stadium, testing the 100 or so persons required for the first-class television production of a world heavyweight championship fight with no live audience is now well within the realm of possibility” ~John Wirt, Kubrat Pulev’s promoter
ANYWHERE, ANY TIME AND BY ANY MEANS
Only time will tell what the two teams come up with. Still, in the meantime, Pulev threw in his two cents to reinforce the notion that he was in agreement to compete minus the screaming audience.
“So come on AJ, let’s make this historic fight happen for the world and give our fans a battle they will never forget.” ~Kubrat Pulev, heavyweight contender
Yet, from the outside looking in, given AJ’s love of huge boxing events, it’s probably unlikely that he will agree to go to war under such circumstances. But, in the end, who knows? Regardless of how this meaningful title fight plays out, stay tuned to 3kingsboxing for all the latest boxing news and updates.
By: Bakari Simpson
