Don King, the 93-year-old boxing promoter, has won the rights to stage a heavyweight title fight. King's $1.1 million bid secured the WBA heavyweight 'regular' title defense between Kubrat Pulev and Michael Hunter, set for August 23.
The Hall of Fame promoter is considering venues in Florida, Las Vegas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania for the bout. King shared the news on his Instagram account, confirming his successful bid.
Pulev, the 44-year-old champion, will defend his title for the first time since winning it from Mahmoud Charr last December. The Bulgarian boxer boasts a record of 32 wins, 3 losses, and 14 knockouts.
Hunter, the 36-year-old challenger ranked No. 2 by the WBA, comes into the fight with a record of 24 wins, 1 loss, 2 draws, and 17 knockouts. He last fought in Mexico, scoring a knockout victory over Christian Larrondo Garcia.
The WBA ordered a four-fighter eliminator in April to sort out the heavyweight division. Fabio Wardley will face Justis Huni on June 7 in Ipswich for the interim version of the secondary belt. Jarrell Miller was originally slated to fight Wardley but had to withdraw due to injury.
The winners of these bouts must face each other by December 31 to determine the next mandatory challenger for the WBA 'super' title. That belt is currently held by Oleksandr Usyk, who also holds The Ring, WBC, and WBO titles.
The heavyweight landscape will see more action on July 19 when Usyk defends his titles against IBF champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium. Dubois earned his shot after knocking out Anthony Joshua in September.
King's successful bid marks a return to big-time boxing promotion for the veteran promoter, who has been a fixture in the sport for decades.
