Anthony Joshua defended his world heavyweight titles with a
devastating knockout of Alexander Povetkin after overcoming an early onslaught
from the Russian at Wembley.
The British star blasted Povetkin to the canvas with a
brutal assault in the seventh round and then floored the WBA mandatory
challenger again to signal a sudden and dramatic ending to his 22nd
professional victory.
As he returned to the scene of his epic win over Wladimir
Klitschko, there would be more moments of concern for Joshua as he was wobbled
and hurt in the early rounds, only to once again show his battling spirit to
become the first man to stop Povetkin.
The rain-soaked stadium was lit up by pyrotechnics as
Povetkin, decked out in a black robe, marched towards the ring, followed by the
home favourite, whose entrance was announced by a rapper and raucous cheers
from the huge crowd.
But the battles cries turned to gasps at ringside in the
first round as Joshua was staggered by a left hook from Povetkin, who had
menacingly stalked through the opening few minutes.
With blood dripping from Joshua's injured nose, Povetkin
waited for another moment to pounce in the second and again found his range
with a hurtful hook.
Joshua's defences remained worryingly easy for Povetkin to
penetrate in the third as he rammed in an overhand right, before ducking low to
deliver a hook, but the Brit began to reply with crisp counters.
A wayward elbow opened a cut over Povetkin's right eye in
the fourth, briefly stalling his charge, and Joshua tried to force him onto the
back foot with stinging jabs.
Povetkin would not be deterred easily and he unloaded hooks
from either hand in the fifth, but Joshua used nimble footwork and his accurate
left hand to neutralise the veteran in the sixth.
After finally gaining the measure of his determined foe,
Joshua would create an explosive finale to the fight in the following round.
A straight right hand sent shockwaves through the legs of
Povetkin, and a left hook followed by a right sent him crashing to the canvas.
Povetkin clambered upwards in a daze and Joshua delivered a succession of
crunching shots to signal a stunning finish.
