Anthony Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) was making the third defense of his IBF heavyweight title. Wladimir Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs), 41, was returning from an 18-month layoff after Tyson Fury ended his nearly decade-long reign as unified heavyweight champion in November 201
Although Klitschko was no longer the dominant champion who ruled the division during his prime under the late Emanuel Steward, he remained one of boxing’s elite heavyweights. Following an 18-month layoff, many questioned whether the Ukrainian still had one more championship run left.
Joshua, 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, carried a 10-pound weight advantage over the 6-foot-6 Klitschko.
American referee David Fields handled the officiating, with Steve Weisfeld, Nelson Vazquez and Don Trella serving as judges.
The opening rounds featured a tactical battle as Klitschko established his jab while Joshua searched for openings with his power punches.
Joshua finally broke through in the fifth round, flooring Klitschko with a right hand and left hook combination. The momentum shifted dramatically one round later when Klitschko answered with a crushing right hand that sent Joshua to the canvas for the first knockdown of his professional career. The veteran controlled much of the sixth and briefly looked capable of reclaiming the heavyweight championship.
Joshua appeared close to defeat after Klitschko dropped him in the sixth round. Rather than launching an all-out attack, Klitschko settled back behind his jab over the next several rounds.
Trainer Johnathon Banks later revealed he repeatedly urged Wladimir to finish the fight immediately, believing Joshua was still badly hurt, while brother Vitali Klitschko advised patience and expected the younger champion to fade naturally.
Wladimir chose the more cautious approach, allowing Joshua enough time to recover before the dramatic turnaround in the 11th.
During the 10th round, Joshua recovered before producing the decisive sequence in the 11th. A perfectly timed uppercut badly hurt Klitschko and started a barrage that resulted in two knockdowns. Klitschko rose each time, but after Joshua trapped him against the ropes with unanswered punches, Fields stepped in at 2:25 of the round.
Joshua retained the IBF title while adding the WBA (Super) and IBO championships, improving to 19-0 with 19 knockouts. Klitschko fell to 64-5.
At the time of the stoppage, two judges had Joshua ahead 96-93 and 95-93, while the third favored Klitschko 95-93.
The event became one of the richest nights in British boxing history. Both fighters reportedly earned between £10 million and £15 million, while the card generated approximately 1.63 million pay-per-view buys in the United Kingdom, establishing a national record.
The anticipated rematch never materialized. Klitschko announced his retirement a few months later, closing one of the most accomplished heavyweight careers of the modern era. Reflecting on the contest, he said, “I don’t feel like I lost. Tonight, we all won,” a sentiment shared by many who watched one of the heavyweight division’s finest championship fights.
Joshua would go on to unify more heavyweight titles and headline several more stadium events, but none carried the same combination of pressure, excitement and historical significance.
Nearly a decade later, his victory over Klitschko remains the performance most closely associated with his legacy, even as debate continues over how much the 41-year-old former champion had left after his long layoff and defeat to Fury. That context doesn’t diminish the achievement. If anything, it explains why the fight continues to be remembered as a classic rather than simply another title defense.
