Tervel Pulev turns pro

[Manning]

London, Great Britain, 06 August 2012 – With the best Olympic boxers fighting for medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games, AIBA Professional Boxing (APB) continues to contract the cream of the crop for its grand opening in autumn 2013.



Recent winner of the AIBA European Olympic Qualifying Event Trabzon 2012, Bulgarian Heavyweight (91kg) Tervel Venkov Pulev has today signed a five (5) year contract to compete at APB World Level.

Pulev said: “It is an honour for me to have been selected as one of the inaugural boxers of this revolutionary project and I just can’t wait to be part of it. I am excited because I know that I will always fight against the best boxers in my category and not some random guy. I know that if one day I become APB World Champion, it will be because I am the true number one.”

The 29-year-old orthodox fighter from Sofia is one of the most recognizable athletes in the sport, having made his mark at various world renowned tournaments.

Tervel is a two-time European Championships silver medallist with great pedigree. The hard man with the thunderous left hook comes from a real boxing family, his father Venko having been a champion boxer and his brother Kubrat a double European Super Heavyweight Champion.

AIBA President and APB Board Chairman Dr Ching-Kuo Wu added: “APB is going from strength to strength during the London 2012 Olympic Games. This news further underlines how boxers and National Federations care about what AIBA is doing for them. APB offers a secure and exciting plan of career to the very best boxers and an extraordinary platform of development for its National Federations. APB brings the sport of boxing into a new era.”

Autumn 2013 sounds a bit late to wait for a first fight. What's the story with these APB crowd? I've heard a few vague things about them but nothing concrete.

[Cachibatches]

Vysotsky said that Medzhidov has signed with them too, and suggested that it is an amatuer federation that has its fighters fight in house under pro rules (if I understood correctly).

[Vysotsky]

That's the impression i have from the little iv found on it. I don't think APB fighters will fight regular professionals who aren't in the APB, i hope im wrong though. Russo, Valentino, Sapiyev, Shin, Medzhidov, Pulev have now signed with them. They already showed to be protecting Russo at the Olympics in his fight against Larduet hoping that their poster boy will get a medal which will help APB with their marketing.

[Butch Coolidge]

I suppose it may be professional boxing sans tomato cans and other cannon fodder opponents. Professional boxing by invitation only? Interesting concept. I wonder if this has anything to do with one of the alphabet-entities criticizing Olympic boxing--I think it was the WBA. If the AIBA offers large amounts of money the alphabelt sanctioning bodies might be a little nervous.

[Ivo]

From what I understand those fighters will continue to fight as amateurs but have the right to compete in two pro fights per year.

In my opinion it is a bad move for Tervel. He should have followed his brother and signed with Sauerland.

[p4pflab]

Originally Posted by Ivo

From what I understand those fighters will continue to fight as amateurs but have the right to compete in two pro fights per year.

In my opinion it is a bad move for Tervel. He should have followed his brother and signed with Sauerland.

Bad idea I see him being KO'd multiple times serious chin problems. He ll be smashed with no headgear.