Anthony Joshua p***** off with Kubrat Pulev for pulling out of title fight

World heavyweight champion will now face Carlos Takam in Cardiff this Saturday

Anthony Joshua says he is ‘p***** off’ with Kubrat Pulev’s decision to withdraw from their heavyweight clash and says he would never pull out of a fight.

The IBF and WBA champion was due to fight Pulev in Cardiff on Saturday but the 36-year-old Bulgarian dropped out with a strained pectoral muscle.

“If only he knew the injuries I’ve faced in training camps,” Joshua told the Mail On Sunday as he prepares to face Carlos Takam, in place of Pulev.

This is Joshua’s first fight since defeating Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 at Wembley and admits had to fight through injuries on the night.

“I went for a Thai massage,” he said. “She pulled my arm right down by me leg and it cramped up my back. I swear I was walking bent double for two weeks. But we crack on.”

Joshua went on to describe his medical history in the gym and it quickly becomes apparent he has no time for niggling injuries.

“When I boxed Dominic Breazeale in my first world title defence I had glandular fever. Just crack on. Before that I fought Michael Sprott with a fractured back. Crack on.

“You build up so much to this one big moment, then because of a niggle you’re going to let it go? Once you’re in there, the ring, the adrenalin takes over. Touch wood, I don’t think I’d ever pull out of a fight.”

Joshua, 28, also revealed a rematch with London rival and WBC champion Dillian Whyte was his first choice to replace Pulev.

He asked his promoter boss Eddie Hearn to arrange the fight but the Matchroom boss said it was not possible. “Anthony said to me, ‘What about Dillian?’ I said the only way we can fight Dillian is if Takam says, ‘No, Christian Hammer says, ‘No, and Jarrell Miller says, ‘No’.”

“Eddie told me I had to go down one place in the IBF rankings to Takam so as to fulfil my mandatory defence,” added Joshua.

Pulev was Joshua's mandatory IBF challenger (Getty)

“Otherwise I might have texted Vitali Klitschko to ask his brother if he could be ready in 12 days to fight me again. I thought Wladimir might still have been obsessed enough about me to come back for a second fight.

“Either would have done. I reckon maybe there should be four or five truly memorable fights in my career. Against Dillian and Wlad we've already had two which have given us that buzz, the excitement. Loved it. Why not do it again?”