According to multiple reports out of Bulgaria, heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev has suffered an injury that will force him to pull out of his scheduled title clash with unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Evidently, Pulev suffered a "partial rupture of the thoracic muscle" nearly 10 days ago during a sparring session in training camp. Although there was initial hope that he would recover from the injury, an ultrasound today confirmed the severity of the tear, which will take at least a month to recover.
Although an official announcement has yet to be made, Pulev is not expected to move forward with the October 28 showdown, which has reportedly sold over 75,000 tickets. With less than two weeks left to go, it's unclear if the entire event will be postponed or if Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, will secure a replacement. Former Joshua opponent Dilliam Whyte, who was scheduled to face Robert Helenius on the undercard, could make for an acceptable last-minute fill-in if the card goes on as scheduled.