It sounds like a matchup from the 2010s: Mahmoud Charr versus Kubrat Pulev. According to a boxing insider, exactly this duel will happen soon – and it’s even about a heavyweight “world championship”.
As the renowned American boxing journalist Dan Rafael reports via “X”, Charr will defend his so-called “regular” WBA world championship belt against Pulev in March. The fight should therefore take place in his home country of Bulgaria.
Charr also tried to get Dereck Chisora in front of him as a challenger for his title, said Rafael. But the boxers couldn’t agree on a deal.
The now 39-year-old Charr won the second-tier and unimportant WBA title in 2017 with a victory over the Russian Alexander Ustinov, but never defended it afterwards. The “Colossus of Cologne” has only had three fights since then, and he was last in the ring at the end of 2022.
Because Charr was unable to defend the title against Don King protégé Trevor Bryan due to visa problems (the US promoter had put Charr on the cross), the WBA took away the German’s belt last year. Charr refused to accept this, took the decision to court and was proven right.
Fearing hefty compensation payments, the WBA declared Charr its “regular champion” again in October. The only condition: The “Diamond Boy” must defend the title within 60 days against a man from the top 15 of the WBA rankings.
However, Pulev does not appear in the top 15 in the last WBA ranking – the promoters are therefore likely to be negotiating with the world association in the background. The rightful WBA world champion is the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, who goes by the name “Super Champion”.
Boxing: Charr and Pulev have world championship experience
The 42-year-old Pulev last boxed in December: in the USA, the Bulgarian defeated Andrzej Wawrzyk from Poland on points. Pulev boxed for the heavyweight crown twice in his career: in 2014 he lost to Wladimir Klitschko by knockout in round 5, and in 2020 he lasted four rounds longer against Anthony Joshua before going on the boards.
Charr also has World Championship and Klitschko experience: in 2012 he unsuccessfully challenged Vitali and lost the fight for his WBC crown in Moscow by TKO in round four. It was “Dr. Eisenfaust’s” last fight – it was a long, long time ago.