Anthony Joshua looks set to have his next fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in May against Kubrat Pulev after regaining his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr.
Joshua has asked for a homecoming fight after boxing abroad twice this year.
Having headlined twice at Wembley Stadium, most recently against Alexander Povetkin in September last year, a lack of availability has forced promoter Eddie Hearn to look elsewhere, with Tottenham’s 62,062-capacity stadium making it the next best option in London.
While Joshua expressed a preference to take on a British rival, it looks certain he will face either Pulev or Oleksandr Usyk, the mandatory contenders for the IBF and WBO belts respectively.
Pulev, from Bulgaria, is the most likely opponent, with Usyk, the former undisputed world cruiserweight champion from Ukraine, set to be offered a fight with Dereck Chisora in March, although if he doesn’t agree, it could mean Joshua giving up that belt.
“In terms of the dates we have been given, the IBF have said you have to fight Pulev by the end of April, while the WBO have given him 180 days,” Hearn said. “So we have to ask if they will allow this fight first. It is a case of speaking to Usyk’s guys. They can fight Chisora and fight the winner, or push us and fight for a vacant title.”
Talks with Spurs have already taken place, with Hearn saying they had initially shown an interest in staging the Ruiz fight.
“Wembley does not look great, date wise,” Hearn said. “Tottenham Hotspur is a nice new stadium for a UK fight and we have to look at it. We have spoken to Spurs and they very were keen to host the Ruiz fight. They are very keen again.”
