Summary

  • Anthony Joshua loses heavyweight world titles to Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk

  • Usyk takes WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles by unanimous decision

  • Former cruiserweight world champion Usyk outclasses Joshua from first round

  • 'Devastated' Joshua wants rematch, says promoter Eddie Hearn

  • Briton suffered eye socket injury and might need to go to hospital, adds Hearn

  • GB's Lawrence Okolie knocks out Dilan Prasovic to retain WBO world cruiserweight title

  • Callum Smith & Campbell Hatton, son of Ricky, both win on undercard at raucous Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

  1. Thanks and goodbyepublished at 00:34 British Summer Time 26 September 2021

    That brings this live page to an end on a night when Anthony Joshua lost his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight titles to Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk.

    Don't forget, in two weeks' time, Tyson Fury puts his WBC belt on the line against American Deontay Wilder in their trilogy fight.

    Thanks for joining us and for all your comments. Until next time, bye for now.

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  2. A crowd of 66,267 were watchingpublished at 00:29 British Summer Time 26 September 2021

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  3. 'Keep positive, even if the world's crumbling in front of you'published at 00:25 British Summer Time 26 September 2021

    A heart-breaking tweet from Anthony Joshua...

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  4. 'A hell of a performance'published at 00:24 British Summer Time 26 September 2021

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  5. Usyk beats Joshua by unanimous decision - read the reportpublished at 00:20 British Summer Time 26 September 2021

    Coral Barry
    BBC Sport combat sports editor in London

    Usyk beats JoshuaImage source, Getty Images

    Oleksandr Usyk is the new unified heavyweight world champion after dethroning Anthony Joshua with an incredible performance in London.

    The Ukrainian put on a masterclass in front of 65,000 fans inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, outclassing Joshua over 12 rounds, and hurting the defending champion on numerous occasions.

    The scorecards - 117-112, 116-112, 115-113 - were all for Usyk and there was a mere shrug of the shoulders from Joshua as the second defeat of his professional career was confirmed.

    Having seen a fight with fellow Briton Tyson Fury collapse last summer, Joshua opted to face his WBO mandatory challenger and former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk instead.

    It appeared the easier fight for Joshua, but boxing's triumphant return to stadium nights was soured for the home crowd by a truly exceptional performance from the challenger.

  6. Lewis heaps praise on Usykpublished at 00:13 British Summer Time 26 September 2021

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  7. 'Tonight belongs to Usyk'published at 00:10 British Summer Time 26 September 2021

    More from Eddie Hearn to Sky Sports Box Office: "The fighter in AJ is already talking about winning the rematch. It was a tough defeat. I had it reasonably close in the eighth and then Usyk ran away with it. If that happens again, he will get beat again.

    "Usyk's confidence will be sky high. He has to impose himself but when you get to the level of AJ, there are no 10-round comeback fights or warm ups. You are straight into the fight. He will be an underdog in that rematch. He chose to take on a pound for pound great tonight, and it didn't work out. He deserves credit for that but this is sport.

    "This is his life and he lives and breathes boxing. Boxing saved him. Boxing made him and he won't fall out of love with the game. When you do, is the time to walk away. The desire will still be there but you have to be good enough. That was an average performance by AJ. he can do so much better but he's facing a pound for pound great. You can criticise him but he is facing the best.

    "There is a new unified world heavyweight champion. There is no point sulking about it. He will go again, but tonight belongs to Usyk."

    Oleksandr Usyk with is beltsImage source, Matchroom Boxing
  8. 'Joshua will be back'published at 00:07 British Summer Time 26 September 2021

    Former British cruiserweight champion Richard Riakporhe...

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  9. 'AJ should not have wasted the first five rounds'published at 00:01 British Summer Time 26 September 2021

    Three-weight women's world champion Claressa Shields...

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  10. 'Joshua never really got going'published at 23:59 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    More from Eddie Hearn on BBC Radio 5 Live: "When he lost in New York everyone started analysing the dressing room, the ring walk. He was fine, he was maybe a little too relaxed on the ring walk, he was shaking everyone's hand, he was hugging a few people that is just AJ but I feel it was the wrong type of performance. Sometimes you have to use your attributes.

    "[Anthony Joshua] never really got going, he will go to hospital now, I don't know if he has broken his eye socket it doesn't look great.

    "But when you go back, Tony Bellew's comments about overthinking, and fatiguing you, it is like these last three or four days you get spellbound by Usyk and you end up giving him too much respect and that becomes a problem.

    "AJ said he is not going on holiday that he is going straight back to the gym and that is not a good idea.

    "You could make any manner of excuse but he got beat by the better man. Sometimes you have to take it on the chin, when you lose you shake someone's hand and say congratulations and say you will come back stronger."

  11. 'We found out Usyk belongs in the heavyweight division'published at 23:55 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    Carl Froch
    Former world super-middleweight champion on BBC Radio 5 live

    That was not a complete shocker but an upset in the boxing world. We all expected Joshua to defend his title and show the cruiserweight king Usyk that he doesn't belong in the heavyweight division.

    But we found out Usyk does belong in the heavyweight division because he just dethroned our king.

    I don't think it is one Anthony Joshua can't come back from but I don't think the straight rematch is the right decision but he may have to.

  12. 'The key word here is disappointment'published at 23:52 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    Steve Bunce
    Boxing expert on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Anthony Joshua will look at that fight and will say 'I didn't perform, I followed him around, I did all of the things I was told not to do.'

    The key word here is disappointment, we have all used it in different terms and I think AJ might even use it himself.

    Nothing to be disappointed in being knocked out by Andy Ruiz, he got caught on the chin two seconds after he dropped Ruiz. That can happen.

    I think he will be disappointed with that performance tonight.

  13. 'We knew this could happen if he didn't get it right'published at 23:48 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    Eddie Hearn told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We are gutted, we have been here before. But this time we are here against a pound-for-pound great fighter. The [Andy] Ruiz defeat was a difficult one to take because it was a shock to the system.

    "This one, we knew it could happen if he didn't get it right, and he didn't get it right. I don't think AJ boxed a great fight tonight but Usyk boxed an excellent fight and it was all the things we worried about before the fight.

    "He took too many shots early and Usyk was more aggressive than I thought he would be and he was the deserved winner tonight."

  14. 'Learn from this and improve'published at 23:48 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    If Anthony Joshua wants some inspiration then Lennox Lewis would be a good man to look at.

    Lewis was heavyweight champion when he lost to Oliver McCall, regained the belts five fights later in the rematch, became undisputed champion, lost to Hasim Rahman then became a three-time world heavyweight champion by beating Rahman later that year.

    Britain's Lewis, the last man to hold all the heavyweight world belts at once, has tweeted this...

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  15. 'An epic night'published at 23:44 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

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  16. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 23:41 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    #bbcboxing

    Nick Loe-Startup: Not seen Joshua take risks since he lost to Ruiz. I don't think he trusts his ability to take a punch and recover since that 1st Ruiz fight. He doesn't take risks for the rewards as a result.

  17. 'The better man won'published at 23:40 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports Box Office: "I have spoken to him [AJ] and it was a tough fight. He is devastated and already talking about training again. Congratulations to Oleksandr Usyk. What a fighter. He put in a great performance and the better man won.

    "The danger was always to overthink it by trying to be technical, if you don't use your attributes and you don't make your mark early enough in the fight. Usyk is very fit and has great feet. He threw a lot of punches and it was all the things you worry about against a fighter like Usyk.

    "He was probably bit more aggressive than anticipated and he was really good. He goes down in history and there are no complaints from AJ. He will go again. He has been beaten by a pound for pound great fighter. We have been here before at Madison Square Garden. That was different and he has been beaten by the better man on the night. He will have to make some big changes in the rematch to avenge that defeat."

  18. Postpublished at 23:34 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    It's over to Tyson Fury now as Britain's only heavyweight champion and Fury fights Deontay Wilder in their trilogy fight with the WBC title on the line on 9 October in Las Vegas.

    The first fight ended in a controversial draw, the second in a convincing Fury victory.

    With Joshua now wrapped up in a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk (if Joshua takes up the challenge), we, sadly, won't be seeing Fury v Joshua anytime soon.

  19. 'I think Usyk had an eye on the rematch'published at 23:31 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    Carl Froch
    Former world super-middleweight champion on BBC Radio 5 live

    The way Usyk ended the fight I think he had an eye on the rematch. I think he was saying, I have outboxed you for 11 rounds and now I am going to stick it on you.

    Joshua is going to think about that when he goes to sleep at night and think 'I was almost out on my feet'.

  20. 'What a fighter'published at 23:30 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    ESPN's Mike Coppinger...

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