- Where to watch Joshua vs. Pulev
- Unblock streaming platforms with a VPN
- More VPN benefits
- Best VPN for Joshua vs Pulev
WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua will finally make his return to the ring this Saturday, December 12, after a year-long absence. He will put all his titles on the line when he faces the IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev. The fight was scheduled for June, but it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, just like every other sporting event.
But never mind that now because Joshua vs Pulev is just around the corner. For boxing fans, this is a fitting way to end an extremely tough year. Some of them, 1,000 to be more specific, will even get the chance to watch the match live at Wembley’s SSE Arena in London, England. As for those watching from home, they have two options: Sky Sports Box Office or DAZN.
Each broadcaster comes with a few geographic restrictions, though. So if you’re abroad, you might have to cough up quite a bit of cash or even miss out on the fight altogether. With proper tools like VPNs, you can avoid geo-blocks.
Content Overview
- Joshua vs Pulev – Official Broadcasters
- Fight and Geo-Blocking
- Avoid Restrictions with a VPN
- Best VPN for Joshua vs Pulev
- Fight Details
- Final Thoughts
Joshua vs Pulev – Official Broadcasters
Saying Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev has been long overdue would be an understatement. Even before the postponement of the June bout, both fighters were set to face off three years ago in October 2017 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. The Bulgarian was also the IBF’s number one challenger back then, and Joshua had to fight him when a rematch against Wladimir Klitschko fell through when he retired.
Unfortunately, Pulev suffered an injury days before the big event, and 36-year-old Carlos Takam stepped in to replace him. But it seems fate wants Joshua vs Pulev to happen so much that even a global pandemic can’t prevent it. Yes, the coronavirus earned a small victory in a couple of rounds, but promoter Eddie Hearn got the last laugh as the fight will take place on Saturday. Let’s just hope no one gets injured or contracts the virus in the next few hours.
Sky Sports Box Office – PPV Pricing
London will host the title-deciding bout between Joshua and Pulev. Born in Watford, the heavyweight champion would not want to lose and dispossessed of his belts on his home turf.
Sky Sports is the official broadcaster for Joshua vs Pulev in the United Kingdom. However, the only way to stream the event is through Sky Sports Box Office, the network’s pay-per-view (PPV) system, which is also available in Ireland. That means if you reside in the UK or Ireland, your Sky Sports subscription (if you have one) isn’t enough. You must pay an extra £24.95 (€27.95 in ROI).
Those who have a Box Office account can click “book now” and sign in, then enter their card details to purchase the fight. Those who don’t have an account must:
- Visit Sky Sports Box Office.
- Select “buy now for £24.95.”
- Sign up, choose “New to Sky Box Office,” and “continue to checkout.”
- Fill in your personal details and card information, then pay.
You can watch Joshua vs. Pulev on PC or Mac, or download the Sky Sports Box Office app, available on iOS and Android. Alternatively, you stream the event on your NOW TV Smart Stick or your NOW TV box.
DAZN
Hear ye, Hear ye! On December 1st, online sports broadcaster DAZN went global. That’s right! The live and on-demand streaming service became available in over 200 countries and territories as of last week, after being restricted to a handful of locations in the past. And what better way to celebrate your global expansion than with a boxing match of the highest caliber.
DAZN marked their worldwide launch by announcing a string of boxing matches, all taking place before the year’s end.
Billy Joe Saunders successfully defended his WBO title against Martin Murray on December 4. The week after that brings the much-anticipated WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight fight between the champ Anthony Joshua and his challenger Kubrat Pulev. And the weekend before Christmas will witness an IBF middleweight title bout between champ Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin and Kamil Szeremeta, followed by Canelo Alvarez vs. Callum Smith the next day.
So as you can see, it’s going to be a boxing-heavy 2020 finale to us boxing fans. Although DAZN focuses on boxing, it offers a variety of sports, helping it earn the Nickname “Netflix of sports.” That includes football, tennis, UFC, NFL, rugby, cricket, and more. However, content differs depending on the region.
For example, DAZN Canada has exclusive rights for the Champions League, Premier League, NFL, cricket, snooker, rugby union, and other leagues and tournaments. Whereas in the US, NBC Sports owns Premier League rights, while CBS is the official Champions League broadcaster.
Pricing
Pricing also varies depending on your country of residence. In established markets like Canada or Germany, for instance, DAZN costs $20 CAD and €11,99 per month and $150 CAD and €119,99 per year, respectively. Whereas in newly launched territories like Australia or the UK, it is priced at $2.99 AUD and £1.99 a month, respectively.
However, Joshua vs Pulev isn’t available on DAZN in the UK and Ireland because Sky Sports Box Office has exclusive rights, as we previously established.
Nonetheless, DAZN does not demand any additional charges to stream the fight. That means you can watch Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev for as little as $2/month.
Joshua vs Pulev and the Geo-Blocking Conundrum
Streaming the December 12 boxing event is pretty much straightforward. UK and Ireland residents have Sky Sports Box Office, while the rest of the world has DAZN. But what if you don’t want to pay £24.95 for Joshua vs. Pulev or subscribe to DAZN’s expensive US or Canadian plans?
Well, the problem lies with your IP address, a numerical label handed out to you by your Internet service provider that enables you to surf the web. And although it only gives away your approximate location, i.e., city or state, it’s more than enough to help streaming platforms block their content if you’re outside their coverage zones.
DAZN, ESPN+, and every other sports streaming service must respect its peers’ broadcasting rights to avoid copyright infringement. Otherwise, they will face hefty fines over piracy. Therefore, each channel only serves the customers inside its geographic region. That explains the location error messages that keep popping up on your screen.
- Sky Sports will show you the following:
Sorry! The video you are trying to watch cannot be viewed from your current country or location
- While DAZN will display:
DAZN isn’t available in this country
VPN – Always In Your Corner
Ali had Angelo Dundee, Tyson had Constantine D’Amato, and you have a VPN as your cornerman. This tool will help you avoid the geographic restrictions preventing you from streaming Joshua vs. Pulev on your favorite platform.
VPNs hide your actual IP address and change it to a location of your choice, all with the click of a button. Once you connect to one of their private servers, your provider will reroute your traffic through the one you selected. It will also give you a matching IP address. As a result, you’ll appear as if you were elsewhere.
For example, if you prefer Joshua vs Pulev on Sky Sports Box Office but you don’t live in the United Kingdom, you just have to connect to a VPN UK server. Of course, your VPN will merely unblock the streaming platform from abroad. You still need to subscribe to the service and purchase the PPV event.
And if you’d rather spend much less for the fight, connect to an Australian VPN server to unblock DAZN Australia. That will also give you access to other restricted platforms from the land down under, like TenPlay and Kayo Sports.
More VPN Perks
Unblocking geo-restricted will get most people to jump aboard the VPN express. But for those who aren’t yet convinced, please note that it is just one of many features.
Virtual private networks, or VPNs for short, encrypt your traffic using the most advanced and secure algorithms. Reputable brands protect your data with the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256-bit keys. Hackers would have to go through trillions of possible combinations to break it, which would take millions of years even with the world’s supercomputers.
Respectable VPN providers also employ a zero-logs policy, meaning they delete users’ sensitive data from their servers. You won’t find any records of your IP address, your browsing history, or traffic destinations. Therefore, government agencies can’t track your location or online activities. And to make sure there aren’t any data leaks, VPNs disconnect you from the Internet with a kill switch should they malfunction. That way, your traffic won’t get redirected to your ISP’s servers.
When using a VPN, you’ll also benefit from:
- P2P support: Streaming and downloading files through peer-to-peer networks can be risky. A lot of countries consider it illegal due to copyright infringement. With a VPN, though, no one can see what you’re up to or track your activities.
- No ISP throttling: Your Internet service provider intentionally reduces Internet speeds if you spend long, consecutive hours streaming and consuming bandwidth. But since VPNs encrypt your traffic, your ISP can’t impact your connection speeds.
- Fast speed rates: A VPN that offers premium features without fast speeds can’t be considered elite level. It’s like having a Ferrari with the engine of a Ford Fiesta. And since you’re going to be live streaming Joshua vs Pulev, you need a reputable VPN service with speedy servers.
How to Install a VPN – Five Easy Steps
Installing a VPN on your device is a very simple and straightforward task. It’s easier than learning boxing basics, like the 1-2-3-2 (Jab-Cross-Hook-Cross). Here’s what you have to do to watch Joshua vs. Pulev on DAZN or Sky Sports Box Office:
- Subscribe to a reputable VPN service. You’ll have to submit a valid email, choose a subscription plan, then select a payment method.
- Download the VPN app on your computer or smartphone. Most VPN services have compatible applications with iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and other operating systems.
- Once the installation is complete, open the app and sign in using the account you just created.
- Connect to a UK VPN server if you prefer Sky Sports Box Office or any other server location that offers an affordable DAZN subscription fee (like Australia or India).
- Strap yourself in for one heck of a heavyweight bout.
Best VPN for Joshua vs Pulev
As I previously mentioned, only reputable VPN services offer the above features. Others, like free providers, aren’t so great.
For one, free VPNs operate a limited number of servers, which are mostly slow and overcrowded with users. That makes terrible choices for streaming as you’ll continuously face buffering issues. Two, they bring almost nothing in terms of privacy and anonymity. They don’t follow a no-logs policy, meaning they keep records of users’ data and sell it to advertisers. These services also use weak encryption algorithms, sometimes none at all.
So if you put premium VPNs in the same ring with their free counterparts, you’ll find that the latter category is clearly and desperately punching above its weight. So stick to the safer and more reliable choice of a paid VPN service, like our below suggestions.
ExpressVPN
British Virgin Island-based ExpressVPN is an excellent choice for streaming sports, movies, and series. It operates one of the most expansive server networks, with over 3,000 servers spread across 94 countries. The service works with the majority of streaming platforms, despite the imposed VPN IP address ban. Speed rates are at a very respectable level as well.
On the security and privacy front, ExpressVPN uses military-grade AES encryption with 256-bit keys. It also has a strict and proven zero-logs policy, in addition to an automatic kill switch that prevents any data leaks.
The company also offers a Smart DNS proxy solution called MediaPlayer, P2P support, and a 30-day refund policy. You can install it on iOS, Android, Mac, PC, Linux, and Kindle Fire, and use it on five devices simultaneously with just one account.
Pros
- Speedy servers.
- 3,000+ servers in 94 countries.
- P2P support.
- AES-256 encryption.
- No-logs policy.
- Kill switch.
- 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Five simultaneous device connections.
- MediaPlayer
Cons
- Pricey subscription plans.
BulletVPN
BulletVPN is another solid choice to stream Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev without any interruptions or privacy invasions. This Estonian-based may not have the same broad server network as its other peers. Still, its servers are strategically located in key regions, like the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Australia, South Africa, India, Brazil, and much more.
BV servers also provide fast speed levels, ideal for streaming and torrenting (yes, BulletVPN allows P2P activities).
This VPN is also well-equipped to protect your online security and privacy. It uses AES-256 encryption, follows a zero-logging policy, and has a kill switch. You can even activate the latter with BulletShield, a feature that only gives you access to the Internet when you’re connected to a BulletVPN server.
Additional perks include a 30-day refund policy, free Smart DNS proxy, and six simultaneous device connections. You can install the BulletVPN app on PC, Mac, Android, and iOS.
Pros
- Fast speed rates.
- Presence in more than 50 countries.
- Works with every major streaming platform.
- Military-grade encryption.
- Zero-logs policy.
- Kill switch + BulletShield.
- 30-day refund policy.
- Six simultaneous device connections.
- Free Smart DNS proxy.
- Torrent support.
Cons
- Smaller number of servers than other VPNs.
Joshua vs Pulev – Details
Watford-born Anthony Joshua will put his WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight titles on the line when he faces Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev. The fight will take place on December 12 at Wembley’s SSE Arena in London, which will host about 1,000 fans. Should AJ avoid any upsets (Andy Ruiz Jr. flashbacks), he will face Tyson Fury in 2021, a match every boxing fan is dying to see.
“I had my little slip-up last year. We’ve brushed it off and we’ve got the belts back and now I’m going to go out there and get back on the gravy train and fight the likes of Fury 100 percent.”
Anthony Joshua
Pulev is not an easy opponent, though. His only defeat came at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko in an IBF title fight back in 2014. He also held the European heavyweight title twice between 2012 and 2016 and is the world’s ninth-best active heavyweight boxer, according to the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
Here is the full match card for Saturday’s fight:
- Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev
- Lawrence Okolie vs. Nikodem Jezewski
- Hughie Fury vs. Mariusz Wach
- Martin Bakole vs. Sergey Kuzmin
- Macaulay McGowen vs. Kieron Conway
- Qais Ashfaq vs. Ashley Lane
- Florian Marku vs. Alex Fearon
The card kicks off at 6 PM GMT/1 PM ET, with the main event expected to start at 10:30 PM GMT/5:30 AM ET.
JOSHUA vs PULEV OFFICIAL TRAILER
Stream Joshua vs. Pulev Live Online – Final Round
The heavyweight bout between AJ and Pulev is just a few hours away. Don’t let geographic restrictions keep you from watching this highly-anticipated fight. Use a VPN to stream it on your favorite platform from anywhere, but stick to reputable providers like the one we suggested. Install, connect, and launch, and you’re good to go.
Who do you think will win? I hope Anthony Joshua retains his titles because I really want to see an epic showdown between him and Tyson Fury. But I’m also a sucker for underdogs, and it would be a massive upset if Pulev takes the W.
