Kofanele agawule abheke uJoshua kulo mzuliswano
Phezu kokuba u-Anthony “AJ” Joshua ehamba phambili kulezi zinsuku esisindweni sosondonzima kodwa kubukeka kuzomele azibambe ziqine kuKubrat “The Cobrs” Pulev waseBulgaria empini abazobe bebhekene kuyo.
Le ndumezulu yempi okukhulunywa ngayo kuwona wonke amakhona ezamankomane izoba mhla zili-12 kuZibandlela eThe 02 Arena, eLondon.
Iqhathwa iMatchroom Sport ka-Eddie Hearn wase-England.
UJoshua uzobe evikela wonke amabhande akhe okuyiWorld Boxing Association Super (WBA), i-International Boxing Federation (IBF), iWorld Boxing Organisation (WBO) nele-International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Heavyweight.
Kuzobe kungokwesihlanu lo sondonzima oqeqeshwa uRob McCracken evikela ngesikhathi esisodwa lezi zicoco.
UPulev oneminyaka yobudala engama-39 uya kule mpi nomqeqeshi omusha uJoe Goosen ohlonishwa ngendlela eyisimanga.
Nakuba iminyaka yobudala seyihambile kuye kodwa ungelinye lamabhokisa ayingozi kulesi sisindo nelingaconsi phansi ngakubo eBulgaria.
Usahlulwe kanye selokhu asiqala isibhakela. Unqobe ezingama-28 wahlulwa uWladimir Klitschko ngowezi-2014 kubangwa amabhande afanayo.
Usenqobe izimpi eziyisi-8 kulandelana. Ukuba seringini ukugcine ngoLwezi nyakenye eshaya uRydell Booker waseMelika.
Ezilinganisweni zeWBA ukleliswe kweye-11, ukweyokuqala kweze-IBF bese eba kweyesine kwezeWBO. Omakadebona kulo mdlalo sebexwayise uJoshua ngokuhlakanipha nangesipiliyoni sikaPulev.
Bathi angasiphinda esika-Andy Ruiz owamangaza abaningi ngoNhlangulana wanyakenye egingqa uJoshua ngomcacamezelo womlalisa phansi kubangwa amabhande afanayo.
Nokho ngoZibandlela wanyakenye uJoshua uzibuyisile izinduku wanqoba ngamaphuzu.
UPulev useke wagingqa iziqhwaga ezifana noDereck Chisora waseZimbabwe, osezinze eLondon. Kusasa uChisora uzolwa no-Oleksandr Usyk wase-Ukrain.
UPulev useke waphatha amabhande afana ne-Inter-Continental eshaya uSamuel Peter waseNigeria ne-IBF International ehlula uTravis Walter. Okubukeka kungamdayisa ngomhla zili-12 kuZibandlela wukuhluleka wukushesha nanokuthi uJoshua oneminyaka yobudala engama-31 uzobe elwela phambi kwabangani nezihlobo.
Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi uJoshua noPulev kwakumele balwe mhla zingama-28 kuNcwaba ngowezi-2017, ePrincipality Stadium, eCardiff, bezoqhathwa yiyo iMatchroom Promotions. Babebalelwa kuzi-80 000 abantu abase bethenge amathikithi.
Mhla zili-17 kuMfumfu kwavela ukuthi uPulev ulimele, kwaba ukubhuntsha kwempi.
Nokho zimbili kuNdasa uHearn ngokuhlanganyela noBob Arum weTop Rank bamemezele ukuthi la mabhokisa azotholana phezulu mhla zingama-20 kuNhlangulana eTottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ngenxa yokhuvethe, zintathu kuMbasa impi ihlehliselwe uZibandlela.
UJoshua uzakhele udumo kwesosondonzima ehlula uKlitschko owayesekhonye inqwaba yeminyaka. Wamthela phansi ngomcacamezelo womlalisa phansi kubangwa iWBA Super, i-IBF ne-IBO. UJoshua useke waphatha ibhande leWorld Boxing Council (WBC) International aliphuce uDenis Bakhtov waseRussia, iCommonwealth (British Empire) neleBBBofC British.
Usanqobe izimpi ezingama-23, wahlulwa kweyodwa. Unobude ubungamasentimitha ali-198 bese ukuvuleka komzimba kube ngangama-208.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi uPulev mude ngayi-194 bese ukuvuleka komzima kube ngangama-202. Kunamahlebezi athi kungase kuvunyelwe izihlwele eziyi-1000 kule mpi ngenxa yokhuvethe. Sisekuzo ezamankomane, namuhla kusukela ngehora lesihlanu ntambama, eTurffontein Racecource, eGoli zizobe zibulalana ezimpini eziqhathwa yiBRD Sport Management. Impi enkulu ngeyabesimame. UMatshidiso Mokebisi noKholosa Ndabayini bazobanga ibhande likazwelonke leWelterweight.
KuFeatherweight, uLufuno uzolwa noMonalisa Takane. KuCatchweight, uDamian Pasley uzoxhimfana noViero Careri bese kuWelterweight uLybon Ntshani azwane amandla noSiphiwe Ntombela. KuBantamweight, uJoshua Studdard uzolwa noTumelo Matsane.