Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev: what time is the boxing fight, event undercard and how to watch it on TV

Joshua, who last fought Andy Ruiz Jr a year ago, has held off talk of a Tyson Fury fight

Anthony Joshua, pictured after beating Andy Ruiz in December 2019, will put his belts on the line against Kubrat Pulev. (Pic: PA)

World champion boxer Anthony Joshua makes his long-awaited return to the ring to face veteran Kubrat Pulev, amid rumours of a fight against Tyson Fury in the offing.

Joshua - the IBF, WBA and WBO title holder - will risk it all when he laces up his gloves for a first competitive fight since December 2019’s redemption win over Andy Ruiz Jr.

The 31-year-old goes into the bout against Pulev, a former two-time European heavyweight champion, as the overwhelming favourite with a record of 23 wins from 24 fights.

Pulev, nicknamed The Cobra, is eight years older than Joshua but holds an equally impressive record of 28 wins from 29 fights - his only loss coming at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko.

Will Joshua ever face Fury?

Promoter Eddie Hearn has said he is "as close to 100%" as he can be that Joshua and Fury, the WBC champion, will fight in 2021.

“When people ask questions about Fury, in the back of my head I'm thinking my focus is Pulev,” Joshua told BBC Radio 5 Live in the run up to facing Pulev.

“All the other conversations about future opponents can come the night after the fight,” he added.

When is Joshua v Pulev taking place?

Joshua will take on Pulev on Saturday 12 December 2020.

The fight was postponed from its initial 20 June date due to the Covid pandemic.

What time does Joshua v Pulev start?

The fight is expected to start around 10.30pm but the timing depends on how long the other six fights on the undercard last, prior to the top billing.

Where is Joshua v Pulev taking place?

The whole event will take place at Wembley Arena in front of 1,000 fans - the maximum number allowed in London under the government’s Tier 2 rules.

What TV channel is Joshua v Pulev on?

The event is not being shown live on terrestrial TV and is only available on pay-per-view, exclusively on Sky Sports Box Office at a cost of £24.95.

It is available for both Sky customers and non-Sky customers to buy and watch.

Sky customers can order the fight through their Sky box and watch live on their TVs, while non-Sky customers can watch the fight using the NOW TV Smart Stick.

Can I stream Joshua v Pulev?

The event is available to buy and watch through the Sky Sports Box Office Player, which can be viewed on digital devices.

Is Joshua v Pulev on the radio?

There will be live commentary of the fight on BBC Radio 5 Live and through the BBC Sounds app.

Who is on the Joshua v Pulev undercard?

In order of appearance:

Qais Ashfaq vs Ashley Lane (8 rounds at super-bantamweight)

Kieron Conway vs Macaulay McGowan (10 rounds at super-welterweight)

Florian Marku vs Alex Fearon (8 rounds at welterweight)

Martin Bakole vs Sergey Kuzmin (WBC international heavyweight title)

Hughie Fury vs Mariusz Wach (10 rounds at heavyweight)

Lawrence Okolie vs Nikodem Jezewski (12 rounds at cruiserweight)

Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev (WBA , IBF and WBO heavyweight titles)