On December 7, Mahmoud Charr and Kubrat Pulev will fight for the “regular” WBA world title in Sofia. The two heavyweight veterans bring little ring experience from recent years, but some frustration.
When the two heavyweights Mahmoud Charr and Kubrat Pulev meet this Saturday (December 7) in Sofia, Bulgaria, in front of more than 10,000 fans, they will have a total of 72 professional fights and 83 years of life in the ring. However, the two veterans also have many years of inactivity, bizarre stories and a dose of frustration in their luggage.
At stake is the WBA’s “regular” heavyweight belt. A belt that both fighters feel they have won and lost several times in a never-ending game of “passing it on”. However, only Charr has actually held the WBA belt.
Legal dispute with the WBA
The “reign” of the German with Syrian roots began in 2017, when he won the vacant “regular” WBA belt against Alexander Ustinov in Oberhausen. Since then, Charr has not suffered a single defeat – but has also not defended his title and has only fought three fights in total. You could say that the 40-year-old boxing pro from Cologne has been in a constant process of reintegration ever since.
Charr (34-4-0, 20 knockouts), who prepared for the clash in Sofia with former Sturm coach Magomed Shaburov, had lost the title in 2021 due to inactivity. Since then, he has fought three times, most recently in December 2022. In August 2023, the WBA reinstated the “Colossus from Cologne” as champion after a long legal dispute – the WBA super champion is Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk. Charr’s CV also includes two artificial hips made of titanium, which he had implanted in 2017, and an abdominal shot, which he survived a few years ago thanks to emergency surgery.
The 43-year-old Pulev (31-3-0, 14 knockouts) has also seen little action of late, most recently defeating Andrzej Wawrzyk by unanimous decision on points over ten rounds last December. The “Cobra” has faced higher quality opponents than Charr in recent years, even if he has lost to opponents such as Derek Chisora (SD 12) and Anthony Joshua (KO 9).
“Pulev has had a great amateur career,” says Charr. “He’s a good technician, but he’s not that strong mentally. I think he’s a good amateur boxer, but not a strong professional. My plan is to get him to give up the fight. I’m going to end his career.” Would it be a disadvantage for him to have to fight in Bulgaria? “My friend, I’m a cosmopolitan. I’m a world fighter, I fight everywhere. I am the ‘Arab-German king’.” Then continues: “Listen, my name is ‘Diamond Boy’. Diamonds grow under pressure. My life has been one of constant pressure and now it’s my time to shine. When I fight Pulev, I will be brilliant and I will shine again.”
“Now let’s get him”
Ulli Wegner sees things a little differently. The 82-year-old legendary trainer supported his former protégé in his preparations for the title fight. “My boxers never had any problems with their fitness. Sufficient runs and strength training have made Kubrat fit for the World Championships,” Wegner explained to the “Bild” newspaper. “Ex-professional Frank Szabani, who was in charge of Pulev’s training in Bulgaria the whole time, also played a part in this.”
Charr vs. Pulev – it will be a duel with many unknowns, which “Bild plus” will broadcast live from Sofia on Saturday from 7.30 pm. Ulli Wegner’s closing words at the press conference: “Mahmoud, you’ve had the title long enough. Now we’re going to get it.”
Text: Frank Schwantes
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