Don King Productions has announced an October 4 date for a fight between Kubrat Pulev and Michael Hunter, just days after King issued a cease and desist order against the news that Hunter would fight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller on September 11.
King says the fight is set for October 4 in Miami, at Casino Miami, formerly known as Miami Jai-Alai Fronton, where he’s held several shows in recent years.
Whether or not the fight — which would be for Pulev’s “world” (aka “regular”) WBA heavyweight title — actually happens remains to be seen. King won a purse bid for the fight at $1.1 million, and says he still has a contract with Hunter (24-1-2, 17 KO) that was signed in February 2024, for three years.
Here is King’s side of the ongoing situation:
“The threats of lawsuits continues against the WBA by Epic Sports and Entertainment. It’s all corruption, fraud, bribery, rigged schemes and crooked scams by Epic Sports appealing to the WBA for reconsideration of the WBA purse bid, for Pulev vs Hunter, which DKP won. Now, Epic Sports is trying to change and to nullify the bout. This clouds the atmosphere with lies and the deception of the truth, fake and false news.”
“The WBA honorably stood up for their rules and regulations and declared the purse bid valid and legitimate, as held, then Epic Sports and the WBA champion Kubrat Pulev made an appeal to change the meaning of the WBA rules and regulations…The WBA honorably denied the champion Kubrat Pulev and Epic Sports, then Epic Sports rewrote the purse bid contracts just as though they had won the purse bid, and asked the WBA to dishonorably and illegally grant their appeal.”
“However, John Wirt never stops in trying to prevent the bout, for the No. 1 contender Michael Hunter, not to fight. Now Epic Sports John Wirt and Ivaylo Gotzev are filing a lawsuit for the arbitrations against the WBA’s decisions of justice and fair play against their Epic Sports and Entertainment Company. However, DKP will not wait for that decision to come about. DKP will stand up and support the WBA’s honor and credibility in their decision for fair play and justice regarding the WBA purse bid situation. The credibility of the WBA is at stake.”
“The credibility of the WBA” is a pretty funny idea to any longtime boxing fan, and King is hardly some paragon, but it has to be said that if he does have a valid contract with Hunter, and he can cover the purse bid he won, then yeah, he has a point.
King also says that Blair Cobbs, Adrien Broner, and Noel Mikaelian will also be in action on the supposed October 4 card.
The 44-year-old Pulev (32-3, 14 KO) beat Mahmoud Charr last December in Bulgaria, ending Charr’s long, bizarre claim to being “world heavyweight champion.” Hunter, 37, has fought at a fairly low level since a controversial draw against Jerry Forrest on a Triller card in late 2021, but has won four straight.
This really is a lot of trouble to go to over a fight that will barely register on the larger boxing radar, but that is a lot of Don King’s business for the last 15 or 20 years. He’s still kicking, if only just.
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