Boxing fans will remember Anthony Joshua’s victory over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night for a very, very long time.The heavyweight giants went toe-to-toe for 11 rounds in an enthralling battle before Joshua emerged victorious via TKO.The Brit was the favourite heading into the bout but Klitschko showed just why he dominated the heavyweight division for the best part of a decade with a phenomenal display of courage and grit.The Ukrainian became the first man in 19 fights to knock Joshua to the canvas, which he did in the sixth round. But Joshua made an extraordinary comeback to add the WBA (Super) and IBO heavyweight titles to his IBF heavyweight belt.The 2012 Olympic gold medallist stopped Klitschko in the penultimate round. A brutal uppercut set up a blistering flurry that led to the 41-year-old being sent down twice.Klitschko rose to his feet but, as Joshua unleashed yet more punches, referee David Fields intervened to stop the fight.But for the first time in his four-year professional boxing career, we saw Joshua in a vulnerable state.
Klitschko: Why I didn't finish the fight in the sixth
Klitschko had the chance to inflict the first defeat on Joshua’s perfect record but he didn’t push forward after knocking him down in the sixth round because he, rather foolishly, thought Joshua wouldn’t recover.
"I thought he wouldn't get up (from the knockdown)," Klitschko, who has now lost his past two fights, said, per ITV. "He managed to get up: respect. I felt he was out of gas and concentration. He recovered through the rounds.
"I could have done more to finish him off after he went down, but I was pretty sure 'This is going to be my night’, so I took my time.
Video: Klitschko knocks AJ down
"How he's going to develop, we'll see. He's vulnerable, and this may be something he will need to work on, but he's today's success.
"I didn't have an off-night. I was in tremendous shape. All respect to Joshua."
If there is going to be a rematch, rest assured Klitschko won’t make the same mistake again.