Kubrat Pulev has pledged half of his purse – an estimated £2m – from his world heavyweight title fight against Britain’s Anthony Joshua to help the battle against coronavirus.
The fight – scheduled for 20 June at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – was postponed because of the pandemic.
Pulev, 38, is expected to earn around $5m (£4.07m) from the fight.
He said: “I will give doctors, nurses and hospitals the necessary equipment to deal with this devilish virus.”
Speaking to German newspaper Bild, he added: “I will donate 50% of the money I earn from the match with Joshua to the tireless heroes in the fight against the coronavirus.”
World champion Joshua, 30, has not fought since December, when he gained a unanimous points victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia to regain the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO belts he lost to the American-Mexican in New York last June.
The Briton’s promoter Matchroom Boxing said on Friday that a new date for the fight “was being worked on” and that it was “continuing to explore the possibility” of hosting the bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at a later date.
Pulev, had previously challenged for the IBF world heavyweight title in 2014 but lost to Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg when he was knocked out in the fifth round.
