News
Joshua outclasses Pulev with ninth-round KO to retain heavyweight titles
Anthony Joshua successfully defended his world heavyweight titles with a ninth-round knockout of Kubrat Pulev at Wembley early Sunday morning.
The British heavyweight boxer outclassed his Bulgarian counterpart and mandatory challenger, flooring him twice in round three and twice more in the ninth and final round.
It was a dramatic and entertaining contest and one that began with a cagey opener as both men appeared hesitant and exchanged jabs.
With a few uppercuts in the ninth round, Joshua dropped Pulev before a straight brutal right hand wiped the challenger out, putting him down for the count.
Read Also: EndSARS protesters decline Anthony Joshua’s ‘food and care’ offer after #LekkiMassacre
1,000 fans were granted access to Wembley Arena to watch the fight amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But victory for Joshua bolsters hopes that a historic fight against fellow Briton Tyson Fury could soon be a reality.
After the win, Joshua said: “I started this game in 2013, gathered the belts.
“Whoever has the belts I want to compete with. If that is Tyson Fury, let it be Tyson Fury.”
The IBF, WBA and WBO champion stands a chance to become the undisputed heavyweight champion if he goes on to beat Fury, who holds the WBC heavyweight title.
Joshua, 31, has now won 24 of his 25 professional fights, while Pulev, 39, has a record of 28 victories and now two losses.
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...