One of the big questions surrounding the Dec. 12 fight between unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev has been answered.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Joshua-Pulev was being moved from The O2 Arena in London to Wembley's SSE Arena in Brent, England, in front of 1,000 fans. The event is the first boxing card in England to be held with spectators since the coronavirus hit the world in March. The heavyweight title clash can be seen globally on DAZN.
"I can't tell you how happy I am to see fans returning to our live boxing events," Eddie Hearn, the promoter of Joshua, said in a press release. "Whilst the team have done an incredible job over the last 10 months, we live and breathe through the energy and atmosphere that a live crowd generates.
"It's so fitting that they can return for an AJ fight when through the last few years he has broken all kinds of attendance records in the U.K. and beyond. This is such a positive move for boxing and all sport. Welcome back!"
Strict safety measures are in place to ensure people's safety at the arena to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Those include the lead booker can only attend with members of their own household (ID including address will be required on entry), Matchroom Boxing are participating in the NHS Test and Trace scheme, lead booker details will be collected and shared for this in line with legal guidelines, and NHS Track & Trace check-in codes will be in place for fans to scan at entrances.
Additional guidelines are that you must not attend an event if you have tested positive for Covid-19, are required to self-isolate, or have suffered from Covid-19 symptoms within 14 days of the event. You must wear a face-covering at all times during your visit to The SSE Arena, Wembley (if you're medically able to do so and aged 11+). They can be safely removed when you're seated to eat or drink, tickets must not be resold, and there will be no refund policy.
Joshua (23-1, 20 KOs) comes back to make the first defense of his belts since regaining them in December when he won a lopsided decision over Andy Ruiz Jr. to become a two-time unified heavyweight titleholder. The three-belt titleholder is excited to return to not only the ring but also to be doing it in his home country for the first time since his seventh-round TKO win over Alexander Povetkin in September 2018.
Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) earned the title shot, ranked the No. 1 contender by the IBF. The 38-year-old gets another opportunity to become a heavyweight champion. He came up short in November 2014, losing via fifth-round knockout to Wladimir Klitschko. Since suffering the only loss of his career, Pulev worked his way back up the ladder to title contention by winning eight consecutive fights.