When heavyweights Mahmoud Charr and Kubrat Pulev finally meet in Sofia, Bulgaria this Saturday (December 7), they will bring to the ring a combined 72 professional fights, 83 years, and almost as many years’ worth of inactivity, confusion, and frustration.
On the line when they fight will be the WBA “regular” heavyweight belt, which is a belt both fighters, along with Fres Oquendo, seem to have won and lost numerous times in a never-ending and frankly maddening game of pass the parcel. And yet, as hard as it is to believe, of the two only Charr has ever owned the belt. In fact, in what has become one of boxing’s strangest “reigns”, since winning the vacant WBA “regular” belt against Alexander Ustinov back in 2017, Charr has yet to suffer a loss. He has, however, fought only three times – yes, three times in seven years – and is therefore in a constant state of reintroduction.
Similarly, Pulev, 43, has hardly been active of late, though did manage to go 10 rounds against Andrzej Wawrzyk last December. He has also been mixing in better company than Charr in recent years, albeit coming up short against the likes of Derek Chisora (SD 12) and Anthony Joshua (KO 9).
“Pulev has a great amateur career,” said Charr, 34-4 (20 KOs). “As a pro, he fought (Wladimir) Klitschko, Joshua, and he is a good technical boxer, but he is not so strong mentally. When he gets under pressure, he stops the fight. For me, he is a great amateur boxer but not a strong professional. My plan is to make him quit in the fight. I will stop his career. He has had a great career, and I am happy he has another chance to fight for a world title and make history in Bulgaria, but I have to beat him. I want to fight many rounds against him to get that experience. But points or knockout, a win is a win for me. It doesn’t matter.”
As for whether fighting in Bulgaria makes things any more difficult, Charr had this to say: “My friend, I am cosmopolitan. I am a world fighter. I fight everywhere. It doesn’t matter to me. I am the ‘Arab German King’. I have German blood and Arab blood. I can fit in wherever I go.”
Now 40 years old, presumably Charr’s biggest fear at this point is that time runs out and that, when it does, he will then come to realise too much of it has been wasted. Which is why a win this weekend in Bulgaria is vital for him and why he must now return to some sort of relevance, ideally with a belt still around his waist.
“Listen,” he said, “my name is ‘Diamond Boy’. Diamonds grow in pressure. My life has been constant pressure and this is now my time to shine. When I fight against Pulev, I will be brilliant and shine again.”
Whether calling himself Diamond Boy, Arab German King, or simply Mahmoud, the title that wields the greatest power – financially speaking – is that of champion, which of course Charr knows. He also knows that now is the time to at last make hay and exploit it.