Anthony Joshua, stands 6 feet 6 inches, with 240 pounds. He prides himself on 18 wins and 18 knockouts. His most notable fight, against Eric Molina (25-3-0), the challenger for Joshua’s IBF World Heavyweight title. Molina was knocked out in the 3rd round and refused to get back up.  Joshua won gold in the 2012 London Olympic Games and won gold in the GB Championships in Liverpool. In 2011, he won silver in the Baku World Championships. Hailing from Watford, Hertfordshire, England, Joshua seeks to make his impact on the heavyweight division. In comes, long reigning, unstoppable, Wladimir Klitschko (64-4-0).

Wladimir Klitschko hails from Semey, Kazakhstan, the boxing capital of the Ukraine. In 1995,  Klitschko won gold in the Military World Championships in Ariccia, gold in the Junior European Championships in Saloniki in 1993, and gold in 1996 at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. Klitschko reigned the heavyweight division from 2004 until 2015, alongside older brother Vitali Klitschko. This era, in boxing is known as the “Klitschko Era”. Both boxers dominated the heavyweight division, side by side. When Vitali lost to Chris Byrd in 2000, Wladimir avenged his older brother, outclassing Byrd and knocking him down twice that same year. Both brothers held the heavyweight world titles since the retirement of Lennox Lewis in 2003. Eventually, Wladimir held the WBA, WBO, IBF, The Ring and the Lineal heavyweight championships. Vitali held the WBC world heavyweight title and gave it up when he retired in 2013. Wladimir lost all his titles when he lost to Tyson Fury in 2015. This officially marked the end of the Klitschko era.

With Klitschko, wanting to prove he isn’t done yet at age 41 and Joshua wanting to leave is mark and rise up the ranks in the heavyweight division, the bout is set for the Wembley Stadium in London, England, on April 29, 2017. The most anticipated fight in the heavyweight division for years, is now underway. Both fighters weighed in at 240 lbs., but overnight Joshua rehydrated to 250 pounds. This fight is for Joshua’s IBF world heavyweight title, and the vacant WBA and IBF world titles.

From the start of the bell, Klitschko came out, moving around Joshua as if he was 20 years young. Klitschko averaged out more punches than Joshua in the 1st, and even landed more notable punches. Round 1 for Klitschko. Round 2 for Joshua since Joshua seemed more active and landed more punches than Klitschko. Round 3 for Klitschko who landed the more solid punches and round 4 for Joshua who was way more active. My scorecard at this point had both fighters tied 38-38. In the 5th round, Joshua knocks down Klitschko. Klitschko quickly gets up and recovers, out boxing Joshua later in the round, who seemed to have punched himself out. Round in favor of Joshua. Now 48-47, the bout is in favor of Joshua. In the 5th round, Joshua came out throwing belligerent and tiresome punches. Knowing Joshua punched his lungs out, Klitschko waited and landed the most beautiful, and accurate right hand that I have personally seen live in a boxing fight. Down goes Joshua. Round for Klitschko, bout now 56-57 in favor of Klitschko. Klitschko stays more active than Joshua from round 7 till 10, winning all 4 rounds. The bout, now in Klitschko’s favor 96-92, he comes out ready in the championship 11th round. Joshua lands an awkward right uppercut that lands right on Klitschko’s chin. Klitschko hits the canvas twice. Joshua, tired, throws 8 wild punches, as Klitschko stays back on the ropes, only 1 punch lands and the referee stops the fight, as HBO commentators Max Kellerman and Jim Lampley argue, was stopped prematurely.

Now a unified heavyweight world champion, Joshua seeks to fight Deontay Wilder (38-0), Tyson Fury (25-0) or Shannon Briggs (60-6-1). As to the fallen champion, Klitschko, he seeks to keep fighting. He even admitted to having a mandatory rematch with Joshua, since it was “in the contract.” As HBO boxing analyst and commentator Max Kellerman says, this was the best heavyweight championship fights in years and as Kellerman also said, “the heavyweight division is back.”