Anthony Joshua last faced Kubrat Pulev in December 2020, defeating the Bulgarian by knockout in round nine. 

The two collided at the SSE Arena in London, in what was the first meeting between the two heavyweights. The Englishman retained his IBF, WBA and WBO belts.

It was what happened in an earlier round, that really caught the attention of those watching on. It appeared that Pulev had pretty much called it quits in round three.

This followed a flurry of punches that the Bulgarian boxer simply could not deal with. 

Pulev ultimately backed away and seemingly refused to stand up to Joshua, and retreated to his corner. It allowed him to gather some time, avoiding any further punishment from AJ. Many boxing enthusiasts were disappointed with actions and made their feelings known on social media. 

One tweeter posted: "Why is Pulev running away? He's had a change of mind midway through the fight? #JoshuaPulev" 

Eventually, Pulev composed himself as the referee allowed him to continue and took the fight to Anthony Joshua. Sadly, he fell short in the round nine, and ultimately suffered a knockout defeat.

For the London-born boxer, it was the 24th victory of his career, as he looks set to face Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on September 25. 

A victory over Usyk could set the stage for the hotly-anticipated 'Battle of Britain' with a match between AJ and Tyson Fury. 

Joshua said ahead of his fight on September 25: "I've got a rematch clause [against Usyk] if the worst happens. I'm not too sure of Fury's situation, so I lose I'm fighting Usyk again."

"The undisputed gets put on hold. If I win, I'll fight either one of them. If Fury wins, I'll fight Fury. But if Wilder wins, I'll fight Wilder. If Fury wins and doesn't take the fight with me, because on his [stated] hit list he said he wants to fight Dillian [Whyte] first or [Derek] Chisora, then I'll fight Wilder." He continued. 

All eyes will be on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to see if AJ can overcome the undefeated Ukrainian.