ANTHONY JOSHUA’s next opponent is set to be the IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev.
AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn is confident the fight – on October 28 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium – will be confirmed next week.
Hearn said: “Pulev’s got to be happy with the situation, its eight weeks on Saturday which gives both guys more than enough time and I believe Anthony Joshua’s next fight will be announced next week.”
This will be the IBF and WBA heavyweight champion’s first bout since defeating Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in April – in front of a record 90,000.
His opponent, 36-year-old Pulev, was defeated at the hands of Klitschko in 2014, but since then he has remained unbeaten – claiming scalps against Britain’s Dereck Chisora and America’s Kevin Johnson.
Hearn revealed that he is planning a busy 2018 for his biggest asset, with second mandatory challenger Luis Ortiz after Pulev – followed by a potential unification fight against Deontay Wilder.
But he also sent out a stern message to the boxing governing body, who could strip AJ of some of his belts should he not stick to his mandatory fights.
He said: “Legally and in terms of rules, we should be able to keep every belt right now if we follow the chronological path that are in the rules of the governing bodies.
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“If they want to biggest star in boxing, sit tight and follow your rules and everyone will be happy.”
A mega-fight with Wilder looks to be edging closer after Joshua told rapper 50 Cent how he will ‘f*** up’ the WBC champ when the two eventually meet.
He will be looking to earn 20th KO from as many fights when he faces the Bulgarian brawler.
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