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Unified heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, 31, from England, retained his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles by stopping 39-year-old Bulgarian challenger Kubrat Pulev on Saturday night at The SSE Arena Wembley in London, England. Joshua’s latest heavyweight title defense was streamed live in the United States and elsewhere via DAZN.
The fight was stopped at 2:58 of Round 9. It was Joshua’s first defense since recapturing his titles against Andy Ruiz last year.
Joshua dominated the fight from the opening bell. He dropped Pulev twice in the third round before eventually stopping him for good in the ninth.
It was another brilliant performance from one of boxing’s best fighters.
Floyd Mayweather, Tyson Fury and Others React to Joshua-Pulev
Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather flew over to London to be one of the 1,000 or so people in attendance at the fight at The SSE Arena Wembley in London, England.
After winning his fight over Pulev, Joshua ran over to embrace Mayweather and shared some words with the future Hall of Famer.
But Mayweather wasn’t the only person excited to see Joshua’s big win.
Rising lightweight boxing phenom Devin Haney was happy to watch Joshua do his thing again on Saturday.
Additionally, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, one of the top UFC analysts in the world, noted the big difference even just around 1,000 fans can make in regards to how an event looks and sounds on fight night.
UFC middleweight contender Darren Till seemed to enjoy the fight, too. But like many other people on social media, Till was already thinking about what superfight should come next for Joshua just as soon as Pulev was stopped.
Meanwhile, while it was thought beforehand that boxing superstar Tyson Fury might be in attendance to watch Joshua vs. Pulev, boxing’s WBC and lineal heavyweight champion revealed the day prior he would be skipping the fight.
However, Fury’s American-based promoter, Top Rank, did tease what many fans hope might come next for Joshua and Fury just as soon as the fight was over.
It wasn’t long before Fury offered his own words. Fury even gave a stunning prediction.
Top Rank’s Bob Arum pointed toward the pending superfight boxing bout happening next.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn also had his say about the matter.
Boxing writer Dan Rafael was also impressed with Joshua’s big win.
Retired British boxing champ Tony Bellew loved the courage and ability he saw from both AJ and Pulev on Saturday.
Boxing manager and coach David Coldwell also shared his opinions about the fight.
Meanwhile, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping was also watching the fight and sharing his thoughts about it.
What’s Next for Joshua?
Joshua vs. Fury is the biggest and best fight that could be made in boxing’s heavyweight division.
In fact, Joshua vs. Fury would crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing since Lennox Lewis accomplished the feat back in 1999.
But Fury isn’t the only option Joshua has for his next fight.
Other potential bouts include Joshua taking on former cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, former heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder and a few other notable options.
But Joshua vs. Fury is the fight most boxing fans hope comes next for both.
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