Anthony Joshua dismantles Povetkin despite being sick
World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is unbeaten in 22 professional fights and on Sunday he stopped a man who had never been stopped before.
His brutal seventh-round stoppage of Russia's Alexander Povetkin in front of an estimated 80,000 crowd at London’s Wembley Stadium was his 21st knockout in 22 professional contests and saw Joshua retain the International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association, World Boxing Organisation and International Boxing Organisation belts.
Although, Joshua looked troubled in the early rounds of the fight, as he suffered a bloodied nose before cutting his rival, the Briton grew in confidence and a savage right hand followed by a left hook began an onslaught which got him into his strides as he became unstoppable .
Another right-left combination downed Povetkin, who somehow made the count, only to stagger into a left hook which saw him slump into the ropes, leaving referee Steve Gray with no option but to intervene.
Roars poured down to ringside as the rain had all day, with Joshua's corner ecstatic and rightly so. His display showcased poise, intellect and power, sending a message to the heavyweight division that the champion will take some stopping .
Joshua, who had been suffering from flu during his preparations and had a problem with his right hand before the fight, paid tribute to his opponent.
"Povetkin is a very tough challenger, he proved that with good left hooks and counter punches," he said.
"I came in here to have fun, and give it my best. I knew he was strong to the head but weak to the body. I was just mixing it up.
"It could have been seven, maybe nine, maybe 12 rounds to get him out of there, but the ultimate aim was to be victorious.
"And I got my knockout streak back," added Joshua, who was taken to 12 rounds for the first time in his previous fight against New Zealand's Joseph Parker in Cardiff in April.
The Joshua name now carries such weight that the likes of Povetkin - the 2004 Olympic super-heavyweight champion and a mandatory challenger who had lost just once in 35 outings previously - was arguably overlooked by the masses.
But, crucially, not by Joshua's team. There had been rumblings, even before the fight was signed, that those around him saw Povetkin - who has twice failed doping tests - as a significant risk. The challenger's experience, low centre of gravity and sleight of foot, despite his 39 years, were live threats.
It is believed that Joshua will earned 20 million pounds and Povetkin got 6 million pounds. If the pay-per-view figures exceeded initial estimates of around 1 million, then that could prove to be even more money in AJ's pocket.
