In front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium on April 29, 2017, Anthony Joshua faced Ukrainian heavyweight legend Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF and vacant WBA (Super) and IBO heavyweight titles. It was a memorable night in the capital and will forever be remembered as one of the most memorable nights in the history of heavyweight boxing.
This was a coming-of-age fight for AJ, who has since participated in many memorable fights. Following the historic eleventh-round TKO victory against the Ukrainian, Eddie Hearn described it as “the greatest night in British boxing history.”
Anthony Joshua Defeats Ukrainian Legend Wladimir Klitschko
Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko Recap
The atmosphere was a raucous one despite the cautious opening four rounds. Round five saw the fight burst into life, with AJ throwing a flurry of heavy-handed punches, forcing Klitschko to the canvas. The Ukrainian legend showed his experience and willpower as he somehow ended up on top at the end of the round, hurting AJ with impressive accuracy.
The following round saw Klitschko score his own knockdown with a beautifully timed straight right. The Ukrainian was unable – to force a stoppage, and the next few rounds were more cautious, enabling the Brit to recover from round six. The eleventh round will undoubtedly go down in heavyweight boxing folklore, as AJ knocked his opponent down.
Before that, Joshua landed a brutal uppercut, which Klitschko somehow survived. Following the second knockdown of the round, AJ pounced and landed a flurry of heavy punches, which forced the referee to wave the contest off and award the British fighter a historic victory.
AJ Legacy
AJ will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest heavyweights. He has shown a hunger to overcome adversity, as seen by his four wins in a row since losing back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk. Last time out, AJ made quick work of Francis Ngannou and could return later this year.
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