Wladimir Klitschko may have lost, but he proved against Anthony Joshua that he’s a true champion.
Klitschko was eventually stopped in the 11th round of the dramatic heavyweight bout at Wembley Stadium.
The 41-year-old, who has dominated the division over the past decade, was also knocked down by Joshua in the fifth round.
Few fighters get back up when in the ring with Joshua, but Klitschko not only got back to his feet, but managed to take control of the bout and put Joshua on the canvas in the sixth round.
HOLY SHIT!!! https://t.co/bYcOGis0LZ
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) April 29, 2017
However, Joshua dug deep, and proved without any question that he’s the real deal.
It was the best heavyweight bout for a long time, and both were rightly praised for their efforts.
Following the epic battle, both men were also very respectful of each other.
WATCH: @AnthonyFJoshua speaks after his epic win over @Klitschko. Reaction here: https://t.co/fdVYmMXVAz #SSNHQ https://t.co/2gzVAXgHQG
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 29, 2017
Klitschko offered no excuses in his post-fight interview.
While clearly disappointed, the Ukrainian congratulated his 27-year-old opponent, calling him a “gentleman” and thanked the 90,000 in attendance.
WATCH: @Klitschko reacts to his defeat to @AnthonyFJoshua. More here: https://t.co/fdVYmMXVAz #SSNHQ https://t.co/4d6qF15NFy
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 29, 2017
Klitschko echoed those sentiments in his first tweet following the fight.
On Sunday morning, the boxer thanked his fans for the support, offered further congratulations to Joshua and said that he “really enjoyed the fight”, despite the end result.
Pure class from a true champion.
Really enjoyed the fight, I hope you did too. Thank you for your amazing support. I can truly feel it. Respect&congrats to @anthonyfjoshua
— Klitschko (@Klitschko) April 30, 2017
Klitschko said following the bout that there’s a rematch clause in the contract. Whether the 41-year-old will step into the ring with Joshua again remains to be seen.
What is certain is that people would pay to watch a rematch.
