The failed effort to move forward with the mandated Kubrat Pulev-Fabio Wardley secondary title fight has resulted in a proposed mini tournament.

BoxingScene has confirmed that the WBA has called for a four-man heavyweight box-off involving the aforementioned boxers, along with Michael Hunter and Jarrell Miller. 

According to a ruling obtained by BoxingScene, Pulev would defend his WBA regular title against Hunter, while Wardley and Miller would vie for the interim version of the belt. The winners would then have to meet by the shorter period of 180 days after their respective bouts or no later than December 31, 2025.

As first reported by Ring Magazine, Wardley and Miller are now due to meet on June 7 in Wardley’s hometown of Ipswich, England, outside London. The bout, which will take place at Portman Road soccer stadium, was approved to allow Queensberry Promotions to keep its date originally reserved for the previously ordered Pulev-Wardley fight.

“On 19 March 2025, Queensberry Promotions… on behalf the WBA #1 ranked contender Fabio Wardley requested the WBA to sanction an interim title shot against Jerrell Miller, due to failed negotiations with [Pulev] and to avoid losing the date and venue of 7 June 2025 at Portman Road, Ipswich, England,” WBA Championship Committee Chairman Carlos Chavez stated in Friday’s resolution.

The request by Queensberry came three days after Hall of Fame promoter Don King requested that Hunter, 24-1-2 (17 KOs) be named as mandatory challenger, given the failed talks between Pulev and Wardley.

As it turned out, both parties would see their wishes granted. It required the WBA to abandon its previous attempt to reduce its number of secondary titlists.

“One mandatory contender for each weight class may be selected by the Championship Committee from the list of ranked boxers or by elimination,” Chavez stated in recapping WBA Rule C. 14. “In general, the highest ranked boxer in the division, or a regional champion ranked in the top 5, may qualify to be named an official contender by the Championship Committee, unless he is, or is likely to be, unavailable to fight for the title within the required time period.

“Based upon the above-mentioned Rules, the WBA has express authority to modify applicable defense periods and otherwise suspend applications of various rules under a special permit, and because the WBA ‘Regular’ Title was inactive for a long period of time.” 

Pulev, 32-3 (14 KOs), and Hunter have 30 days from Friday to reach terms for their WBA regular heavyweight title fight.

Bulgaria’s Pulev, 45, claimed the belt in a 12-round unanimous decision over Mahmoud Charr last December 7 in his Sofia hometown. The performance extended his current three-fight win streak. He was previously ordered on March 5 to next face Wardley, but talks went nowhere – hence the audible called by Queensberry given the reserved homecoming headliner for its heavyweight.

Hunter is technically unbeaten in his last 14 starts. That does not include a loss to Artem Suslenkov last May on an IBA-sanctioned card, which is not recognized by official record keepers given the lack of a national governing body overseeing the events.

The lone career defeat suffered by Hunter came in an April 2017 unanimous decision to Oleksandr Usyk, the WBO cruiserweight titlist at the time. Ukraine’s Usyk, 23-0 (14 KOs), went on to fully unify the 200lbs division and did the same at heavyweight in his first of two wins over Tyson Fury last May.

Usyk remains the recognized lineal and unified WBA super, IBF, WBO and Ring champion. The 38-year-old southpaw is unaffected by the abovementioned WBA resolution.

Approval was already granted for Wardley-Miller to come with the resurrected interim title at stake.

Wardley, 18-0-1 (17 KOs), will enter his first title fight of sorts, which follows his two-fight set with Frazer Clarke. The two fought to a draw in their terrific 12-round affair last March 31 at London’s O2. Wardley obliterated Clarke in less than a round last October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Miller, 26-1-2 (22 KOs), is aiming to rebound from a two-fight winless streak.

A reformed multi-time drug cheat, Miller, of Brooklyn, New York, was stopped in the 10th round of a December 2023 clash with Daniel Dubois, 22-2 (21 KOs), who has since claimed the IBF heavyweight title. Miller’s most recent start produced a spirited effort, albeit in a 12-round draw with former unified heavyweight titlist Andy Ruiz last August 3 in Los Angeles.

Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.