Don King is back in the heavyweight mix after landing Wednesday’s WBA purse bid with a $1.1 million offer to stage Kubrat Pulev vs. Michael Hunter. The bout, for Pulev’s WBA “world” heavyweight title, is penciled in for August 23 - just three days after the Hall of Fame promoter turns 94 - with venues in Florida, Las Vegas, Ohio and Pennsylvania under consideration.
Per WBA rules, defending champion Pulev pockets 75 percent of the winning bid ($825 k), while mandatory challenger Hunter receives the remaining 25 percent ($275 k). The winner must next face whoever emerges from the June 7 interim-title fight between Fabio Wardley and Justis Huni, with that consolidation ordered to happen by December 31.
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Pulev claimed the secondary belt last December by outpointing Mahmoud Charr, but was redirected to Hunter when Wardley pursued the interim route. Hunter, unbeaten under standard commission oversight since 2017, gets his second crack at a major title after losing to Oleksandr Usyk at cruiserweight eight years ago.
While the heavyweight spotlight remains fixed on the July 19 Usyk-Dubois undisputed clash at Wembley, King’s latest move ensures the division’s second tier stays lively.
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