Arsenal and Tottenham in battle to host Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev as Eddie Hearn admits both stadiums ‘in the mix’
NORTH LONDON rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are both in the mix to host Anthony Joshua’s next heavyweight world title defence.
Joshua, 30, regained his unified belts 4,000 miles away in Saudi Arabia in December after he exacted revenge on Andy Ruiz Jr.
But the Watford star wants a UK homecoming in his next fight, having boxed on the road in his last two bouts, where he suffered a nightmare US debut against underdog Ruiz before the Riyadh rematch.
Joshua is mandated by the IBF to face 38-year-old Kubrat Pulev - who pulled out of a 2017 bout against the Brit with an injury.
Promoter Eddie Hearn is still negotiating terms with Pulev as they eye a stadium fight in Britain - but offers to fight abroad will bring in more cash for the heavyweights.
Hearn explained: “For AJ we’ve established the IBF mandatory was called long before the WBO one.
“Kubrat Pulev is the frontrunner, but of course in this situation Kubrat Pulev is mandatory and is thinking ‘I want as much money as possible for this fight’.
"We want to do the fight in the UK - which is probably the place where there’s the least amount of money for this fight.
“But at the end of May or early June for us, many venues in the mix - Emirates, Spurs, Twickenham we've requested, Millennium (Principality) Stadium.
"It's time to come home. But Pulev’s got to be in agreeance with that and hopefully we get that over the line.
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“If you asked him where he wants his next fight to be he'd say London, so that's what we're going to try and deliver.”
Joshua has also been given a WBO mandatory in Oleksandr Usyk, 33, though Pulev’s IBF challenge has been allowed to take place first.
Ex-cruiserweight king Usyk will instead face Derek Chisora, 36, in March before facing the winner of AJ and Pulev.
