Hughie Fury could line up AJ clash with win over Pulev

IBF world heavyweight title eliminator
Channel 5, 9pm Saturday

A popular discussion in pubs across the UK over the last few years has been who would win a fight between Joshua and Fury, but it could be Hughie Fury, rather than Tyson, who gets a crack at AJ first if he beats Kubrat Pulev in a final eliminator for the IBF belt.

The winner will become the official mandatory challenger, and with Wembley booked for an Anthony Joshua fight in April against an as yet unnamed opponent, Hughie could jump to the front of the queue.

Like his cousin Tyson, Hughie is not afraid to fight anyone, anywhere - and he travels to Bulgaria as a marginal underdog to face fearsome foe Pulev, whose has beaten everyone he has faced in his professional career with the exception of Wladimir Klitschko.

Klitschko beat Pulev in five rounds in 2014, but he has rattled off five straight wins since, including victories over veterans Dereck Chisora - - on a split-decision)- Samuel Peter and Kevin Johnson.

Pulev was supposed to fight Joshua in 2017 but withdrew with a knee injury, and at 37 there is a chance that his long career may be catching up with him. This is his first contest for 16 months and he seemed to tire in the latter stages against Chisora.

Fury has had his share of illness and injury problems too, but he says he is physically and mentally better than ever before, and there is every reason to believe him.

Trained by Peter Fury, who masterminded Tyson's victory over Klitschko in Germany, Hughie has been steadily gaining experience, but this is the perfect opportunity for him to make a statement and at 24 he could be entering his prime.

Fury doesn't have a standout knockout record with 11 KOs from 21 wins, but Peter has said that Hughie has recently acquired his "man power" and it will be interesting to see if that ratio improves.

A scrap in Sofia may scare off most fighters, but it's not a problem for the Furys as they have been training in Bulgaria for many years - Hughie first went there as a 14-year-old - and they have been staying with family friends during fight week.

It won't be easy to beat gnarled and grizzly beast Pulev in his own back yard and punters are right to be wary of a home decision from the judges, but Fury has plenty to offer and if he lets his hands go he could emerge from Tyson's shadow as a genuine world title contender.

On Sky Sports from 8pm, John Ryder is a 3-10 favourite to beat Andrey Sirotkin in a final eliminator for Callum Smith's WBA super-middleweight title, while Ted 'The Big Cheese' Cheeseman is 4-11 to beat Asinia Byfield for the vacant British super-welterweight belt.

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