THE date is set.
Kubrat Pulev will fight Anthony Joshua on December 12 in London, and already the Bulgarian has been accused of racism as we count down the days till the bout.
The 39-year-old will be battling the British champ for his WBA, IBF and WBO titles – in what promises to be a fascinating contest.
But when he was asked for his thoughts on Joshua, 31, in a press conference, Pulev was accused of racism after referencing the colour of his opponents skin.
"His strengths? I'd say he has a very powerful punch undeniably," said Pulev.
"What are his other strengths? His tan is better than mine."
It's not the first time Pulev has over-stepped the mark
In 2019, he had his boxing licence suspended when he forcibly kissed a female reporter on the lips during an interview, and that's not all…
ROUND 2
Almost three years ago, Pulev and Joshua were supposed to fight each other at Cardiff's Principality.
However, 11 days before the scheduled bout Pulev injured his shoulder in training and had to pull out.
Carlos Takam stepped in at short notice, and Joshua finished the tough Frenchman in ten rounds.
Later Pulev said he could've made it to the ring for the £4m payday, but knew he wouldn't have been able to give the best account of himself.
"It wasn't easy for me to make that decision," Pulev said.
”I know, in my place, almost everyone would choose to get into the ring in Cardiff, despite everything, and collect a few million.
“Anyone else, but not me. I can beat Joshua … but I can't beat him if I'm injured.”
The two were also originally meant to lock horns back in June at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the fight was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
KISSGATE
Last year, after defeating Bogdan Dinu in Costa Mesa, California, Pulev forcibly kissed female journalist Jennifer Ravalo, as well as reportedly "groped her buttocks".
She asked: "If Tyson Fury gets through Tom Schwarz, do you think you should have a shot?"
He immediately replied "yes" before he put his hand on her chin and kissed her on the lips.
The California State Athletic Commission immediately suspended Pulev, however his brother responded by sharing a video of Ravalo dancing with a member of Pulev's entourage on that same night.
Pulev denied any wrongdoing.
He told BILD: "Everyone knows me as a friendly and polite person.
"The woman came to me [at the weigh-in] and said, ‘After the fight, we party.'"
The heavyweight contender was slapped with a £2,000 fine, as well as the six month suspension from boxing and could only regain a license if he completed a sexual harassment awareness course.
Four months later, Pulev had his boxing licence reinstated by the CSAC after he completed the class.
He was warned if he pulled the same stunt again, he'd have his licence revoked again.
POWER COUPLE
Pulev's long-term girlfriend is a blonde bombshell with a big voice.
The fighter has dated pop star Andrea, 33, since 2006, and she regularly tweets about his success.
Andrea, real name Teodora Rumenova Andreeva, stuck by her man after 'Kissgate', sharing a picture of the pair of them sharing a smooch the day after the allegations came to light.
During her teenage years she won numerous beauty pageants including Miss Sofia and Miss Tourism Bulgaria.
You hear a new song, it's your favorite But pretty soon you'll be changing the station And all your old shoes are looking brand new They wanna be worn but they never get the chance to Heavy into everything, ready for the next thing To catch your eye for a while than you're over it You change your mind on it Soon as the shine's gone #andreabulgaria2020
A post shared byAndrea (@andreabulgaria) on
She has won over 30 awards like "Balkan Star" on "Beogradski Pobednik" in Belgrade, "European Performer of the Year on "Kralevski Festival" in Kraljevo Serbia, "Balkan Star" on "Montefolk Awards" in Montenegro.
And Andrea is hugely popular on social media, amassing over 350,000 followers on Instagram.
ONE BLIP ON HIS RECORD
Pulev boasts a professional fighting record of 28-1, with the only man to defeat him being someone Joshua has beat in the past.
In 2014, Pulev fought Wladimir Klitschko at the O2 World Arena in Hamburg and met his match.
In a one-sided duel he was knocked down three times before Klitschko put him out of his misery and knocked him down one final time with a devastating left-hook in the fifth.
"Wladimir is a really good opponent, but he was lucky. I want a rematch," Pulev said after the fight.
He never got one.
SNUBBED GERMANY
He's not called 'The Pride of Bulgaria' for nothing.
Named after a Bulgarian medieval ruler, and born in Sofia, Pulev could never align himself with another nation.
But over the years, he has declined several lucrative financial offers to fight for Germany.
However, Pulev views it as a matter of principle and has said he would never change his national allegiance.
Germany's loss is Bulgaria's gain, and he will be wearing their flag when he steps into the ring with Joshua next.
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