On a rainy night at London’s Wembley Arena, unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua defeated Alexander Povetkin by seventh-round knockout.
The smaller, scrappy Povetkin found success in the early rounds connecting with overhand flurries that left the champion with a bloody nose in the first round. Working his way back during the fourth and fifth rounds, Joshua regained control of the pace before connecting with a massive overhand blow that sent Povetkin stumbling to the canvas and through the ring ropes.
Despite surviving the referee’s 10-count, Povetkin stumbled on only to be met with a second big power onslaught from Joshua that he couldn’t defend against. Completely annihilated, the referee was forced to stop the fight.
In the post-fight interview, Joshua gingerly sidestepped questions about fighting the winner of Wilder vs Fury by and turning question to the audience asking who they’d like to see him face next. During a second in-ring interview, Joshua went on to say that Deontay Wilder was his priority should he emerge successful against Fury on December 1 and they can work out the “lil bits” in negotiation.
To see Joshua’s devastating knockout win over Povetkin in round 7, flip the page.