Famed trainer Goosen will train Pulev for Joshua fight

With Anthony Joshua ready to make the first defense of his second Unified Heavyweight Title reign in June against IBF number one contender, Kubrat Pulev, the Bulgarian challenger has decided to enlist the help of a famed United States trainer.

Joe Goossen, who has worked with such championship fighters as: “Sugar Shane” Mosely, Amir Khan, Riddick Bowe and the late Diego Corrales and is now a commentator for Fox Sports’ boxing coverage, announced Saturday night on their broadcast that he will be joining Pulev’s team:

Great seeing Brian Kenny, ⁦@LennoxLewis⁩ and Joe Goossen on the call tonight ⁦@PBConFOX⁩ #kownackihelenius pic.twitter.com/7HLPsaSdA0

— John Stouffer (@johnstouffer) March 8, 2020

His “Ten Goose” boxing gym in Southern California for has been in existence for over 30 years and Goosen was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005.

Pulev, 28-1,  and ranked number one IBF contender despite not having beaten a significant opponent in the last three years. He challenged for the Heavyweight Title once before, losing on a 12-round decision to then Undisputed Champion, Wladimir Klitschko, in 2014. He has won his eight fights since, mostly against nondescript competition.

The Joshua-Pulev fight has been under discussion for the last two months, since the IBF ordered Joshua to fight their number one contender in a mandatory defense next. The IBF had extended the deadline twice for Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing and Pulev’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing, to come to an agreement.

The fight will be at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London and is a 65,000 seat state-of-the-art facility that was just redone in the spring of 2019. It not only houses the English Premier League soccer team but also has a multi-year deal with the NFL to play at least two of its games in that Stadium over the course of the next four years.

Goosen has been one of the primary analysts along with former Undisputed Heavyweight Champ Lennox Lewis on Fox’s coverage of “Premier Boxing Champions.” This includes having worked Saturday night’s upset by veteran heavyweight Robert Helenius of previously unbeaten Adam Kownacki in Brooklyn, New York.

He also recently worked the corner of California heavyweight contender Chris Arreola when he fought and lost on 12 round decision to Kownacki last August.