Boxing fans online claim Joshua's final round was stopped early
Boxing fans flood social media with conspiracy theories claiming Anthony Joshua’s final round against Oleksandr Usyk was stopped EARLY to prevent AJ being knocked out during shock defeat
- Rumours are rife that Anthony Joshua’s fight on Saturday was stopped early
- AJ was on the ropes in the final seconds of the bout against Oleksandr Usyk
- The DAZN clock on-screen shows the last nine seconds pass in double quick time
- Usyk was on the verge of knocking out Joshua and many fans are still suspicious
- Yet bell-to-bell, the round was three minutes long as Eddie Hearn has said since
Boxing fans online insist Anthony Joshua’s fight against Oleksandr Usyk was stopped early with the Brit on the verge of being knocked out in the 12th round.
AJ suffered his second career loss at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night, with Usyk stunning the boxing world with a decisive and unanimous points victory to become the new heavyweight champion of the world.
The Ukrainian had an exhausted Joshua up against the ropes in the final 30 seconds of the bout and what has not gone unnoticed is the discrepancy between the nine seconds left on the on-screen clock and how rapidly the fight concluded.
Boxing fans online insist Anthony Joshua’s fight against Oleksandr Usyk was stopped early
The DAZN clock showed nine seconds left, but the fight was stopped three seconds later
Boxing fans online insist Joshua’s fight against Usyk was stopped early to avoid a knockout
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As shown by DAZN, the final nine seconds – as per the clock – seemed to end in just three seconds with Joshua all at sea and on the verge of being knocked out.
It was quickly noticed by fans online, with one asking: ‘Anyone notice at the end of the 12th round the bell range 7 seconds early, was this to save Joshua getting {sic) knocked out?’
Another said: ‘They rang that bell 5 second early lol, saved Anthony Joshua from a 12th round KO,’ and another noted towards the Tottenham location: ‘Is it just me or did the bell go early in the 12th round?
‘It could be a mismatch between the on-screen time and the actual fight clock but just seems a little suspicious, especially in London.’
Joshua’s rival Dilian Whyte also noted the seemingly early stoppage and added the referee should have stopped the fight, telling iFL TV: ‘I thought Usyk was going to win by TKO in the last round.
Usyk had Joshua on the ropes in the final seconds of the 12th round of the heavyweight bout
Boxing fans on social media believe the 12th round bell sounded too early on Saturday night
‘I thought they gave Joshua way too much time. He was just sat on the ropes, stood there and didn’t do anything. I thought that Usyk deserved a TKO victory.’
However, having watched the final round through bell-to-bell, Sportsmail can confirm that the 12th round did go a full three minutes.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, confirmed as much after the fight as he looked to quash the rumours: ‘I don’t believe it did, I saw that it did on the DAZN clock but I remember specifically the ten seconds came and it was ten seconds.
‘Because I remember hearing when there was ten seconds to go, it wasn’t three seconds after the clock went so I don’t believe that was an early bell.
‘One for the BBBofC not for me, but it wasn’t like “he is in trouble here let’s ring the bell”, again it is one for the board but what I do know is he got hit by a couple of shots but it wasn’t early.’
Hearn has confirmed Joshua will look to take on Usyk again in a rematch, with the hope that he can exact his revenge in much the same way he did against Andy Ruiz Jr, who handed the Brit his first career defeat.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn (top-left) confirmed the 12th round did indeed go the distance
Joshua will look to take on Usyk again in a rematch following the crushing loss on Saturday
The Matchroom supremo said after the fight: ‘He will want to go back in that rematch, and he will be the underdog in that fight but he has just been beaten by a pound-for-pound great.
‘Joshua lives and breathes boxing, he is already talking about training again and he will be in the gym and ready to get back in again.
‘You can criticise Anthony Joshua, but he has just fought a great and he is fighting the very best, and tonight he came off second best.’
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