Sean Ingle's view of the fight
The fight's best images
So Anthony Joshua has made it 22 fights undefeated and and reaffirmed his status as the world’s leading heavyweight. It wasn’t easy, some might even say he made hard work of it, but Povetkin was tough and talented and took some stopping. When Joshua did stop him, it was brutally clean and clinical. The champion marches on. Thanks for joining and goodbye.
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Was Joshua hampered by being unwell tonight? Amid all the euphoria about the emphatic finish, it has to be said that Povetkin seriously ruffled the champion. Joshua looked hurt and even weak at times during the opening rounds, but after the fight he offered TalkSport a reason why that might have been …
I have always said to myself, Povetkin has been a gold medallist, he fought for the world title when I turned pro and he has stayed at the top of his game since then. You have to give him credit. If that was in tennis, football, basketball you’d say this was a serious challenger. We’re against serious competitors for this championship belt. I’ve got to keep my feet firmly on the ground. They’re not only going to be great fights but very tough. I’ve suffered with a flu. This camp has been difficult. I knew I just had to stay in there”
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The Guardian’s cricket correspondent Ali Martin says Joshua has forgotten to thank one man for his rise to the top. Take a bow Moeen …
Anthony Joshua reeling off the people who’ve got him to this point but one key omission... pic.twitter.com/XhmDRwBfTZ
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) September 22, 2018
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Eddie Hearn says the deal for Joshua to fight Wilder was signed but the American pulled out. Who knows the truth but many people believe it could be Dillian Whyte next. Whyte is ringside, of course he is, and says he wants to to be Joshua’s next opponent and he will be ready if the opportunity arises. Joshua had some kind words to say about Whyte earlier too. David Haye says he wants to see Joshua v Wilder. The world wants to see Joshua v Wilder. But Tyson Fury might have something to say about that on 1 December.
Comedian Aatif Nawaz has summed up most peoples’ opinion of Joshua perfectly …
In an era that glorifies characters and over the top showmanship...you can't help but admire the humility and self assurance AJ carries himself with. Class act. Respect. #JoshuaPovektin
— Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) September 22, 2018
Kevin Mitchell's report
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Anthony Joshua speaks
“First and foremost Wembley, thank you so much” says Joshua. “Povetkin is a very tough challenger. He proved that with good left hooks, counter punches. I realised he was strong to the head but weak to the body. Every jab slowed him down. These shorter guys are very strong coming through the middle but tonight’s out the way.”
Joshua says he will fight someone on 13 April and “give the fans what they want” but he won’t say who it might be: “I had a good fight, I got my knockout streak back and I’m ready for 13 April. There was a lot of pressure tonight. The whole country is rooting for me. I’m a heavyweight, I’m a world champion. The energy in here spurs you on but I do feel the pressure, I’m not going to lie.”
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That is the perfect finish from Joshua. That crushing right hand will reverberate around the boxing world. This was a tough fight and he came through it in some style.
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Joshua knocks out Povetkin in round seven
Round Seven
“He’s blowing, he’s blowing,” bellow Joshua’s corner, spying a potential weakness in Povetkin. The challenger keeps coming though. He bobs and weaves then unleashes a fierce blow. Then again. But Joshua lets rip with a mighty right. Povetkin is hurt. Joshua comes again. A fearsome combination leaves Povetkin on the floor. Somehow he gets up, but he’s staggering. He’s never been stopped. But a final Joshua combination ends the fight. A wonderful finish from Joshua.
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Round Six
Joshua is in a real battle here and he knows it. Talking to his opponent he then thuds a powerful left into Povetkin’s temple. The Russian fires back with an overhand right to pin Joshua back. The fight is moving up a gear but both men are landing blows. Joshua looks steady, Povetkin a little tired maybe. The 11-year age gap may be starting to tell, but it still looks as though Povetkin has the artillery to land a decisive blow.
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Round Five
Joshua now seems to be the fighter pushing forward. He looks much more in control and Povetkin is ragged now. Swinging somewhat wildly, but when he gets in close he is very dangerous. Joshua needs to keep ducking and diving to avoid these potentially lethal knockout blows. I have Povetkin leading this three rounds to two.
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Round Four
Joshua’s corner are working hard to patch him up between rounds and a cut is opening up above Povetkin’s left eye. That will give Joshua a boost, and he lands a crunching right to the injured area. The Russian has slowed down a little bit and Joshua is growing into this. He powers a couple of jabs through Povetkin’s defences. A replay suggests Povetkin’s cut may have come via a clash of heads. It has halted his charge a little bit no doubt. Unfortunate that.
Round Three
Povetkin powers a right hand into Joshua’s temple at the start of the third. Joshua is looking slow, cumbersome and a little timid. He needs to be clever and ride out this early storm. Another quickfire left sneaks through Joshua’s defences. Povetkin is hounding Joshua, looking to make his dominance pay and floor him while he is suffering. He looks so fit and sharp. Joshua counters with a nice combination to lift the crowd but I don’t think he won that round. Povetkin definitely has the edge after three.
Round Two
Joshua comes out from the corner bleeding heavily from the nose. Tony Bellew thinks the nose is broken and Joshua looks in some pain. The crowd are a bit tense as their hero tries to regroup. Povetkin is on the front foot, looking dangerous and targeting the body. The Russian then throws a sneaky right which again hurts Joshua. It’s never straightforward with Joshua. David Haye says he is worried for his fellow Briton. “He needs to keep the fight at long range,” says Haye. “Povetkin is not the guy you can just unload on.”
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Round One
It’s a cagey start. Joshua probing behind the left jab, while Povetkin looks to move in close and minimise his opponent’s reach advantage. Joshua flashes a left hook into Povetkin’s cheek, rocking his head back momentarily. The physical disparity is obvious, but Povetkin unleashes a combination in the closing moments which stuns Joshua. He was caught there, and stumbled backwards. He wasn’t in danger of falling but it was a warning shot.
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The fight is about to begin. The fighters square up and move away. Let’s fight.
A quick email from Matt Cast about the Luke Campbell decision earlier. “The French TV commentators are absolutely outraged at that Campbell decision, calling it a scandal, outrageous and shameful,” he reports. “They are claiming that their international colleagues around them are equally shocked.”
Now it’s Joshua’s turn to hit the ring. There’s some live rap going down as he emerges from the smoke in a silver gown. It’s sleek, sort of pyjama like, but he’s looking comfortable. He waves to the crowd and they serenade him. The most box office British sportsman in history, according to the Guardian’s Kevin Mitchell. Flames shoot up from the ground behind him. Can he make a statement tonight? Will he then sign a deal with the winner of Wilder v Fury? And will he become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world?
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Michael Buffer introduces Povetkin, and the boos ring out. He’s wearing a black cape, hood over his head, Russian flag held aloft by one of his cornermen. The music is menacing. Povetkin sings along as he marches towards the ring, limbering up as he goes. It’s not flash, he’s not a natural showman. But he looks like he means business.
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Tony Bellew and Oleksandr Usyk have just squared up ringside. They will fight for all the world cruiserweight titles at Manchester Arena on 10 November but tonight they just stare at each other for an inordinate amount of time. It’s pantomime stuff.
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Sweet Caroline booms around Wembley as pictures of Joshua are beamed across the big screen and the excitement builds. Fans are singing and dancing. Joshua cannot help but be inspired by this. Only minutes to go now.
One result to clear up from earlier in the evening is David Price v Sergey Kuzmin. The Englishman, brutally knocked unconscious by Povetkin in April, retired on his stool due to a bicep problem, gifting the win to Kuzmin. Price endured four punishing round at the hands of the Russian before throwing in the towel. Price told Sky Sports: “I’ve had a slight tear in the bicep the last few weeks. We had to take the fight, and take a chance. At the end of the fourth round, it was barely movable. It’s really frustrating. I would love the opportunity to fight him again with the right preparation.”
Luke Campbell exacts revenge on Yvan Mendy
Campbell gets the result his performance deserves, with a unanimous points decision. It’s taken three years but he has revenge. The judges scored the fight 119-109, 118-111 and 116-112 in his favour. Now he’ll have a shot at becoming world champion.
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Mendy raises his arms and is held aloft by the men in his corner, but surely this is just typical boxing bravado. He did very little in that round, or the entire fight for that matter. This will be astounding if Mendy wins this. Campbell was clearly superior.
“Boxing masterclass,” say the commentators of Campbell’s performance with one round to go. His awkward Southpaw stance is making Mendy miss repeatedly. Surely he’s about to gain revenge and put himself in line for a shot at the world title. Mendy needs a knockout.
Campbell’s combinations are constantly probing Mendy’s defences and little is coming back. Ten rounds in now and the Englishman is well in control. Mendy needs something big in the last two. Can he find it?
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If you missed it earlier this week, Enzo Calzaghe died on Tuesday. The Italian-born trainer propelled his son Joe to success as one of Britain’s greatest boxing champions. John Rawling wrote his Guardian obituary …
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Luke Campbell unleashes the punch of the fight in round six, jagging a right uppercut into Mendy’s jaw. The Englishman is looking the classier fighter, pounding Mendy to the body, and moving him around the ring. The Parisian doesn’t throw many shots but he’s looking durable, if nothing else. Campbell is ahead on points right now though.
Joshua has spoke backstage, and he looked cool, confident and in his words “ready to deliver’. “You can always fight like you have something to lose but I fight like I’ve got everything to gain,” he says. “The pressure is on but I hope I can perform and give the people what they want tonight.”
Joshua reckons he’ll have to bully Povetkin and break him down round by round, and the consensus among experts is that he’ll have to be patient. Email me your predictions, and in the meantime here is the lowdown on how the fight might go down …
Next up is Luke Campbell v Yvan Mendy in a long-awaited rematch. Campbell, from Hull, was one of Britain’s finest amateurs and won Olympic gold at London 2012. Great things were predicted of his pro career and he was undefeated until he ran into Mendy at the O2 in 2015. The Frenchman was a shock winner of a contentious points decision that night but Campbell has regrouped and is desperate for revenge. The winner of this fight will earn a shot at the WBC lightweight title.
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Lawrence Okolie wins British cruiserweight title
Anthony Joshua’s night has started well. Former Team GB boxer Lawrence Okolie, who is managed by Joshua, has wrestled the British cruiserweight title from Matty Askin, but wrestled was the operative word in one of the worst fights you are likely to see. Okolie was penalised three times for clinging on three times in a fight where the 2016 Olympic silver medallist was supposed to make the world sit up and take notice. It was awful fare but he won and is undefeated after seven fights.
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Preamble
Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder may have attempted to steal the limelight today by announcing a date for their WBC heavyweight world title fight, but there is no doubt about heavyweight boxing’s biggest draw. Around 80,000 fans are descending on Wembley tonight for Anthony Joshua’s latest defence of his IBF, WBA and WBO titles, and they will be expecting a routine victory from arguably Britain’s most popular sportsman. But Alexander Povetkin is a man to be reckoned with. He may be 11 years older and four inches shorter than the 28-year-old Joshua, but he has only lost once in his professional career, and that defeat came against Wladimir Klitschko, who put the Briton on the floor during their epic Wembley bout in April 2017.
“Povetkin is dangerous,” Joshua said in the build-up to tonight’s fight. “He doesn’t really throw that many punches but then suddenly – boom!” David Price found that out in the most brutal way possible when he was knocked unconscious by the Russian earlier this year. Povetkin may come across as polite and inoffensive in interviews but he hits like a hammer and his two doping bans and relationship with Putin make him the perfect bad guy in the eyes of the British public. Joshua has promised a breaking down job, the crowd will want a knockout and Povetkin will be determined to crash the Wembley party. Wilder and Fury wait with bated breath.
Ring walk expected at 10pm.
