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The boxer Anthony Joshua retained his IBF, WBA, WBO and OIB heavyweight world champion titles by knocking out Kubrat Pulev in London, a result that leads to a 100% British reunification fight against Tyson Fury in 2021.
The whole UK and the boxing world dreamed of a match between ‘AJ’ and the undefeated ‘Gipsy King’ (king of the gypsies), with the belts of the queen category at stake.
For many, Saturday’s date was nothing more than a hook in the way of the final duel between the two British boxers.
Eight years younger than his adversary, Joshua dominated the match from start to finish, before 1,000 spectators who could see it at the SSE Arena, near Wembley, with a capacity for 12,500 people.
After a timid first round, in the third round Joshua already dominated the fight against Pulev: the referee gave twice protection count, once when the Bulgarian was on the ropes and once after falling to the ground.
The 39-year-old Bulgarian held on and pushed himself with a good forehand.
But he rarely caught up with Joshua, who took the lead in the ninth round of 12. He dropped him after a series of hooks and when the referee sent Pulev back into the fight, “AJ” delivered a tremendous right hand against the chin that left him hopelessly on the ground.
A very popular figure, Joshua has a history of those who like sports in general and boxing in particular.
That of the redemption of a child born to parents of Nigerian origin – his father also had Irish blood – who could have ended badly, but was saved by boxing to the point of becoming Olympic champion in 2012 in London, and later champion of the world.
Gifted for soccer and athletics, he discovered boxing at age 18, thanks to his cousin Ben Ileyemi.
“Ben brought him in just to get him off the street,” Spencer Oliver, who saw young Joshua in 2007 at the Finchley Amateur Boxing Club run by his father and uncle, told the Daily Telegraph in 2016.
“I remember my father saying it was going to be special. But at that time, I was leading a bad life, “he added.
Record of victories
Defeated for the first time in his career on June 1, 2019 by Andy Ruiz Jr, before regaining his belts a year ago with a points win, the 31-year-old Joshua has a record of 24 wins, including 22 by knockout. .
Pulev, nicknamed “the Cobra”, suffered the second defeat of his career, in which he added 28 victories.
In the end, all eyes are on a historic fight in 2021.
“I’m as close as possible to being 100% sure that the fight against Fury will take place.”, promised his promoter, Eddie Hearn, on Wednesday before specifying: “If AJ wins on Saturday.” And won.
#ByYesYouVisit this was the KO with which Anthony #Joshua he finished off Kubrat Pulev in the 9th round, to retain the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight world titles. 🥊🔥 #JoshuaPulev pic.twitter.com/NEkTdE9Rwi
– Martín Arias (@martinariasm) December 13, 2020
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