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After seven dramatic, stunning rounds of boxing, Anthony Joshua's arm was lifted into the air and for the 22nd time as a professional fighter from 22 bouts, was named winner after his technical knockout finish of Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua’s fight previous to Povetkin, against Joseph Parker, was the first time he had failed to stop his opponent, the only minor blemish on an otherwise flawless professional record. Not Saturday night, Saturday night saw Joshua return to his 'style of old', but with a few minor tweaks. After a cautious opening minute, both men went to war, Joshua eventually ending the fight in the seventh to become the first man ever to stop the 39-year-old Russian.
“Let's see what is happening on April 13,” he replied, upon almost immediately being asked who is next. “Let's ask the question, I have no mandatories. The sport is about what the fans want, let's put a poll out on Twitter and see who fans want me to take on.”
Anthony Joshua's career in pictures
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Joshua knows he is box-office but it is not his mouth that cashes the cheques, but one man who can and does increase his pot of money in the bank with his mouth is Tyson Fury, who Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn stunningly described as 'the most unentertaining figher he's ever seen'.
"I don't want to be disrespectful, but Tyson Fury is the most unentertaining fighter I've ever seen," Hearn said when quizzed on why he would rather see his fighter take on WBC title-holder Deontay Wilder than the former lineal heavyweight champion of the world.
"He's never been in a good fight in his whole career, apart from [Steve] Cunningham, where he got knocked down. Deontay Wilder against Anthony Joshua is the biggest fight in world boxing and stylistically it is the most exciting match-up you could possible make in boxing."
The head of Matchroom Boxing has confirmed that he is in talks with Shelly Finkel to get the Wilder fight over the line, but it appears that the front-runner to face Joshua at Wembley Stadium on 13th April is someone much closer to home, Dillian Whyte. Although it of course won't happen that way, Joshua is happy enough to allow the fans to make the decision for him, he just wants to keep on rolling with the punches after yet another successful outing in a boxing ring.
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