Last night in Costa Mesa, California, former two-time heavyweight title challenger Kubrat Pulev returned to the ring for the first time since his July 2022 decision loss to Derek Chisora. Pulev, now aged 42, scored a wide and commanding ten round unanimous decision victory over Poland’s Andrezej Wawrzyk. Pulev scored a knockdown in round six and another one in round eight.
Scores were indicative of the one-sided nature of the fight at 100-88, 100-88, and 99-89, all for the Bulgarian. Pulev is now 30-3(14), while 36-year-old Wawrzyk, himself a former heavyweight title challenger, falls to 34-3(20).
Pulev had things all his own way last night, with Wawrzyk boxing quite negatively, mostly on the back foot. Pulev was the aggressor, while Wawrzyk fought only in spurts. As such, it’s tough to really know how much Pulev has left to offer at this stage of his now 14-year pro career. Pulev’s jab was a key weapon for him in last night’s fight, and it is possible that Pulev, with all his experience and know-how, could stick around in the sport, with him defeating a young prospect or two. But is this what Pulev wants?
A third-world title shot looks very unlikely, and it will be interesting to see what Pulev feels he can do should he stay in the sport. Pulev is by no means a ‘shot’ fighter, not at all. He looked pretty sharp last night, he was in good condition, and “The Cobra” was reasonably fast on his feet. But again, Pulev was in with a guy who was only fighting when the mood suited him.
The knockdowns Pulev scored came about due to a left hand that landed high on the back of Wawrzyk’s head, while the knockdown in round eight saw Pulev blast his man into the ropes and then down with a right hand to the head. Pulev still carries some power and again, if matched right, maybe he can pick up a few more wins before he’s done.
Who knows what 2024, and maybe beyond, holds for Pulev?
