From a video recording of the tragedy, the hyper media consuming street boys and others readily recognized AJ even as trapped within the badly mangled remains of the SUV they were all travelling in. The car bore no marks to reveal anything yet they shouted ”na AJ ooo!”. Thus commenced rescue operations. But his two friends had breathed their last. Dead.

Governments of both Lagos and Ogun States responded promptly and marshalled all available facilities to support AJ, ensuring his immediate evacuation to Duchess International Hospital, Ikeja GRA. Duly discharged, he managed to fly out to go pay his last respect to the departed lofty souls of his late associates eventually interred Sunday January 4, 2025. What a huge and painful loss, at once, to our dear AJ.

AJ’s accident provoked boundless reactions oozing assorted perspectives including those laced with political colouration with the simplistic thesis that Nigeria happened to Team AJ. But the simpletons were immediately countered. The more sober voices dismissed the unfounded sentiments and also ensured their own voices counted as much as those of the nation’s relentless disparagers.

Notably, Ambassador Designate Reno Omokri cited similar previous incidents around the world including that of Princess Diana of the UK in which the son of the Egyptian born British billionaire, Dodi Fayed died. According to Reno, taking AJ to hospital in government ambulance took far fewer minutes than it took victims of similar accidents around the world. He went further to challenge whoever had contrary information to volunteer such. None since!

This does not amount to an absolutely perfect official attention to such incidents. There are probably countless others compelling some pleasantly revisionist intervention from responsible government agencies like the Tunji Bello-led Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. This Commission is, for instance, doing its best with its campaign slogan of Demand and Insist to alert Nigerians to their statutory entitlement in emergency situations to treatment in public health facilities before being asked to make any payment.If only the rule of law as being advocated by FCCPC, accompanied by compassion had always prevailed…

Tragic trajectories all the way. In April 2010, Nigerians suddenly woke up to the tragic news of the shocking death of that fast rising rapper, Dagrin. He rammed his car into a stationary truck in Mushin, apparently while returning from an all-night show. Dagrin held so much promise, according to his fans making his death send ripples to far and near. Barely one year later, yet another star, of the comedy genre, CD John, died in a similar manner. As recently as October 7, 2025, still in the showbiz world, Chris Jeyibo a music producer, had a collision with a truck park.

Equally strategic in this context are the unmistakably well resourced non-state actors who only need to be properly inspired by relevant state actors to reinforce relevant official activities.

Similar contexts for all, as obvious. No mechanical dysfunction in any of their vehicles. Misuse of road spaces sticks out in all but there is also a peculiar angle especially in AJ’s case. Reinforcing an earlier claim by a Facebook user, a renowned broadcaster, Anike-Ade Funke Treasure who claims to live in Nigeria by choice cautions against heaping all the blames on the bad road conditions. Ironically, according to her, the good condition of some roads tempt into tragedies. “ Overspeeding kills. I ply that road often, it’s a recently reconstructed road. Such a ghastly accident has no other explanation than overspeeding”. Apparently also endorsing Omokri, She continues: “I feel for men of the FRSC who beat the traffic build-up by running to the scene…”. The earlier commenter, a Sayo Aluko, argues: I mean this was a multi-lane expressway with a shoulder…A stationary trailer parked on the shoulder does not , by itself cause a catastrophic collision: such outcomes are shaped by speed, control and judgement on the point of impact. Roads do not create speed, drivers do…this accident could have occurred in (sic) anywhere under the same conditions of speed and recklessness, and the trailer in that could have been a fat oak”.

Incidentally, highway remains the flagship physical accomplishment of the President Tinubu’s administration amply signposted by the innovative duo of the Lagos-Calabar highway and the Sokoto-Badagry highway. Add that to the ingenuity of  the enhanced use of local content of cement for the roads most popularized by a tested engineer himself, the incumbent Works Minister, David Umahi, when he was Ebonyi State Governor.

But the human factor holds sway always, head or tail, with the possibility of harvesting negative results even when positive outcomes are glaringly low hanging fruits. Soyinka’s play, The Road, offers a most convincing, unnecessary mystification of Ogun as killer on the road even as its susceptibility to manipulation by human beings is limitless. Drivers are quick to accuse Ogun, being the Yoruba god of iron embodying vehicles, of being murderous when accidents happen on the road. Forever, they want to wash their hands clean from automobile accidents, in spite of the total control of automobile technology that humans have. The debates could have been endless and in fact globally so with the (dis)advantage of the global spread of the naïve nitwits, if only to be exhibitionist about their fandom for AJ or sheer gullible criticism of the government they loath without limit.

With this global dimension added to the series of the road tragedies in Nigeria in this internet age will probably come some succor to unfounded faultfinding with the nation’s road condition. There are bad roads but there are probably as many bad road users. It is inconceivable for instance how, unlike Lagos, drivers in Abuja relish defying traffic lights in the nation’s capital with impunity. Even in Lagos where it is public knowledge that there are CCTV cameras overlooking highways, unpleasant situations such as had claimed the lives of some of the music producer, Chris Jeyibo, still happen.

Notwithstanding the predictable, largely online criticism of it, the Lagos-Calabar Highway has turned out to be a most precocious or rather ambitious project. Even as it remains far from being fully completed, it now helps to relieve the pre-existing roads on Lagos Island connecting outward, inter-state roads for vehicles heading for southernly Western and Eastern regions of the country. That road project has clearly earned Nigeria a lofty ranking on the world road rating scale with all resultant positive projections of economic benefits beyond what were earlier anticipated thus recommending it easily for robust international funding support

But we cannot continue to sit back without accompanying our civilizational advancement with required or appropriate knowledge democratization efforts. And we can never have enough of these. From the relevant state actors at the national level like the FRSC to those at the subnational level like the Lagos State Transport Management Authority, LASTMA, efforts must be stepped up to be more proactive in the discharge of duties. While public education campaigns, especially during festive periods must not be deployed as sheer cosmetic interventions, they must not be seen as yet another opportunity to extort innocent road users either.

Equally strategic in this context are the unmistakably well resourced non-state actors who only need to be properly inspired by relevant state actors to reinforce relevant official activities. The likes of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, and some others with membership encompassing grassroots operators like drivers of tricycles as well as commercial bikers will do well to ensure due percolation of the new consciousness that must accompany the renewal agenda of the Tinubu administration. The doability is pretty real especially with the readiness of the Federal Government to be demonstrative with attention to even affairs at the very base ward level. Non state actors must also seek out allies in the corporate operators of the emerging car rental service companies such as often patronized by the likes of the unfortunate Team AJ.

With the acknowledged, unprecedented road development now, even in the regions, perhaps most exemplified in Imo and Osun States, obviously deriving from substantially improved funding allocation from the revenue mindful Federal Government, safety concerns deserve urgent attention. Indeed, offering a commendable example from Osun State is the Ede ThinkTank, a cell of Ede Descendants Union. Populated by intellectuals with diverse academic and professional leanings, it is currently led by the Obafemi Awolowo University Professor of Medicine, Abubakar Abefe Sanusi. As proactive as ever, the model group formulated a dedicated campaign for enhanced road safety for the community following massive road development. Ede is better for it now even as Ede Think Tank, while monitoring that, has moved on to engage with tech-driven multi-sectoral produuctivity taking advantage of its social clout. For the group, no national or international official is unreachable. Fundamentally however, for the group led by a medical veteran, the right to life is supreme.

Highways therefore must support better lives, not snuff them.

*Professor Akanni is a LASU based Development Communications expert currently on sabbatical tenure at FCCPC, Abuja. Follow him further online on medium.com

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Though he once held IBF, IBO, WBA as a unified heavyweight champion years ago, Anthony Joshua’s quest to seek only the IBF and win it now will write his name among the greats in the division.

Joshua’s path to this level has been tasking. It came with victories and losses; glory and reproach; love and hate, however it is what has given him the present fame.

After his sudden loss to Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr, Joshua became susceptible and a man every boxer wanted to date but he rose with a different style to reclaim all his belts from Ruiz a few months after.

Though he won against Ruiz, it was evident that Joshua had lost his confidence. He became more cautious, more mature and more tactical afterwards.

After this, Joshua did it against Kubrat Pulev in a cautious manner but met his match against the best in the division at present, Oleksandr Usyk who beat him twice to win and keep the unified title.

Of course, it is a painful experience the Briton has to live with as he navigates his way back to the top, beating American Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou to set a date with a compatriot, Daniel Dubois for an IBF title this coming September 21 in Wembley.

READ ALSO: APRA commiserates with people of Kenya, calls for reconciliation

Having regained his confidence, I see Joshua becoming a three-time heavyweight champion in about three months.

The undisputed champion, Usyk has vacated the IBF belt, making Dubois a substantive champion with Joshua a challenger in all British title bout under Riyadh organisers.

I won’t write Dubois out completely against Joshua, going by his performances against American Jarrell Miller and Croatian Filip Hrgovic.

Dubois is one of the heavy punchers in this division and this was visible against Usyk when he landed a body shot that dropped the Ukrainian in the earlier rounds of their match.

Though counted as foul, below the belt, against the Ukrainian, Dubois showed the world how good he was in his fight against Miller where he won on a technical knockout.

He pushed the hefty American so hard, using his heavy jabs and clubbing hooks to subdue the in-boxer.

Against Hrgovic, Dubois showed that he could take punches as he endured the Croatian. He finally caught Hrgovic and broke one of his eyes’ to claim a technical knockout.

Except for his bad footwork and inability to move his head away from punches, Dubois would have been a perfect match for Joshua.

Nevertheless, I see him as a strong contender if he will be coming with the determination he took to Miller.

However, he is slower than Joshua, less athletic than Joshua, less experienced than Joshua and less tactical than Joshua.

But then, Joshua must approach the fight with all seriousness not only because it is a title bout that will make him a three-time heavyweight champion but because of the circumstances that surround the fight.

It is the first defence for Dubois who never won the belt but vacated for him by the undisputed Usyk. He will want to do anything to keep his first ever heavyweight belt.

Joshua has been in and out of the camp. He is going back to strategise against a boxer of almost the same power punch like him. His best strategy shouldn’t be pound-for-pound approach but a tactical game in which he would have to set Dubois up for a quick finish.

Joshua can do this and Dubois can fall for the tactic, I can see that.

If it happens, then Joshua will be a three-time heavyweight champion in September, otherwise he may mar his own reputation again.

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Joshua, 34, floored the UFC champion in the first round and early in the second.

A dazed Ngannou rose to his feet in Riyadh but was stunned by an explosive and formidable right moments later as the referee halted the contest.

The 37-year-old appeared to be out before he even hit the canvas and required medical treatment.

“I’m going back to my cage and when they let me out, I’ll fight again,” Joshua said, as WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury watched on from ringside.

Fury made tough work of Ngannou in October when he was dropped by the debutant before edging a points win.

“When I saw the fight with Tyson Fury I thought ‘I want some of that’. [Ngannou] is a great champion and this doesn’t take anything away from his capabilities,” said Joshua.

“I told him not to leave boxing. He’s two fights in and he’s fought the best.”

Victory is two-time world champion Joshua’s fourth in 11 months, and keeps alive his ambition of recapturing a world title.

Eddie Hearn called for Joshua, who he has promoted throughout the heavyweight’s pro career, to face the winner of Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.

The pair will fight to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion in May, with a rematch later in the year.

“In five years I won’t be fighting,” Joshua added. “Eddie Hearn and my team will shape my future.”

A knockout for the highlight reels

With the card running more than an hour later than planned, it was 03:20 local time when master of ceremonies Michael Buffer introduced Ngannou to the ring.

Dressed in a pink and white robe with gold tassels, Ngannou made the solitary walk down the aisle to the tune of ‘God’s Plan’ by Drake.

A frowning Joshua looked full of purpose as he strutted to the ring with confidence.

He kneeled down and recited a prayer in his corner.

Joshua drew the loudest reaction, a mixture of boos and jeers.

He seemed completely undeterred, his eyes set firmly on Ngannou.

And it was a near-perfect start for the Watford-born fighter.

Ngannou had just narrowly missed with a lead left hand as Joshua remained calm and composed.

AJ extended his backhand to land a flush right down the pipe.

READ ALSO: EXTRA: Joshua can still win a belt, By Kunle Awosiyan

By flooring Ngannou, he had done within three minutes what Fury failed to do in 10 rounds four months ago.

A stunned Ngannou got up on the count of eight and saw out the round.

Joshua has become a smarter fighter in recent years, honing his technical ability.

He doubled his jab, bided his time and waited for an opening.

Another right hand had Ngannou clamouring on the floor.

He beat the count in the nick of time but the writing was on the wall.

The finishing punch was one which will undoubtedly take centre stage in future Joshua knockout highlights reel.

A statement win in Saudi

A well-schooled amateur boasting Olympic gold and a two-time world champion with wins against some of the best in the division, Joshua’s experience prevails in the early hours in Riyadh.

The razzmatazz of Saudi boxing was on show, albeit still under the backdrop of critics claiming the Kingdom is using high-profile sporting events to ‘sports wash’ away its human rights records.

While it was not the star studded affair seen in past event in the region, former champions Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao rubbed shoulders with the likes of football manager Jose Mourinho and Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldo.

The card was billed as ‘knockout chaos’ but the Saudi crowd – as they usually do – behaved in a very quiet and orderly manner.

The pressure was on Joshua to deliver a message to rival Fury.

A fighter who has faced an intense level of scrutiny in recent years, Joshua acknowledged the impact of trainer Ben Davison.

Davison was in Joshua’s corner for the second time, having also overseen December’s dominant win over Otto Wallin.

“I didn’t want to disrespect Ngannou but he’s not been hit by someone like AJ before,” Davison told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I’ll let people judge whether he is improving. The only way to find out who is the best is to get the winner of Fury and Usyk. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Whether Ngannou listens to Joshua’s advice and returns to the sport anytime soon awaits to be soon, but the ‘Predator’ is a proven winner – whether it be in life, the UFC octagon or a boxing ring.

His journey has taken him from a 12-year-old working in sand quarry in Cameroon to living on the streets of Paris, before becoming UFC champion.

Although his childhood dream of becoming a boxing world champion may never become reality, Ngannou is set to return to MMA later this year with the PFL in search of his next prey.

Source: BBC

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With the victory, Usyk is still the world heavyweight champion, after beating  Joshua second time running on a split decision.

The first judges had it 115-113 to Joshua, the second 115-113 to Usyk and the third 116-112 to Usyk, yet another victorious outing in boxing world for Usyk.

Usyk later shook hands and hugged Joshua.

He then dedicated the victory to the people of Ukraine, who are currently at war with Russia.

Meanwhile, some boxing buffs in Lagos were surprised that the Nigerian-born Joshua was leading the scores, until the 9th round, but failed to lift himself in the 10th round of the fight.

Uzor Odigbo, a sports commentator, expressed disappointment and asked why Joshua allowed Usyk to creep back into the match when he (Joshua) was way ahead on points until the 10th crucial round.

“He did well but could not finish up when it mattered, this was similar to the first fight, in the heavyweight category; you just have to keep fighting and pushing till the fight ends.

“I wish Joshua the best of luck while trying to rebuild his boxing career, he really needs to go back to the drawing board and start all over,”  Odigbo said.

READ ALSO: Boxing: Why Anthony Joshua is scared of Andy Ruiz

Stanley Ajawara, a sports analyst, said that Joshua would need at least two serious mandatory challenges without belt before fighting for WBC again.

He said that he lost out to a better boxer, who knew how to raise his game when it mattered, which is what the heavyweight division is all about.

“Joshua lost the bout at the 10th round, perhaps it was Usyk’s strategy to keep the pace and lift it beyond Joshua in the 10th,11th and 12th decisive rounds.

“Joshua would really need to dig in deeper if he ever wants to be a world champion again, but so far he has left a mark in the boxing history,” Ajawara said.

Kennedy Onome, another boxing buff, said that Joshua went to sleep when it mattered most and lost what was meant to be the revenge mission to a headstrong opponent.

“He lost to a tougher opponent, indeed split decisions are always painful losses but he has to move on and see how he can rebuild himself in the boxing world.

“He went to sleep and should have sustained the momentum that got him the clear lead all through from the first round till the 9th round of the epic clash.

“At a point it looked certain that Joshua could push the fight to a trilogy but unfortunately he could not dig in deeper to land the necessary blows,”Onome said.

Segun Aderogba, a civil servant, expressed disappointment as Joshua was the best in the category to take any fighter to the limit.

“He lost out when he should be on cruise control and almost to what happened in their first clash in England. Joshua would have to go and queue up now because there is a long list of contenders, who are desiring to hold on to the belt.

“If he is courageous enough he can one day still emerge as the world greatest champion in the heavyweight category,”Aderogba said.

Source: NAN

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The fight in Saudi Arabia was a rematch of the one in London in September, which Usyk won after a unanimous decision to take the belts from Joshua.

But Saturday’s 12 rounds were fought with much more intensity and emotion.

The pressure was on both more than ever, with Usyk this time representing a country fighting for its existence after a Russian invasion while Joshua was battling for his boxing future.

Usyk appeared comfortably ahead as the final bell rang at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena to end the fight billed as “Rage on the Red Sea.”

But the American judge awarded the fight 115-113 to Joshua, while the British and Ukrainian judges decided it was 115-113 and 116-112 to Usyk.

The victory took the 35-year-old’s professional record to 20 fights undefeated while Joshua, 32, suffered the third defeat of his career.

Joshua, who had held aloft the Ukrainian flag with Usyk as they waited for the decision in what seemed an acceptance of defeat, then had an uncharacteristic meltdown.

He took two of the belts, dropping them as he left the ring and headed for the dressing room before turning around and stepping back between the ropes.

The boxer then took the microphone and addressed the crowd: “Usyk is one hell of a fighter. That’s just emotion.

“For this guy to beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the levels of hard work he must have put in. So, please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world.

READ ALSO: Devastated Joshua heads to hospital to check eye socket after losing titles

“I was studying Ukraine and all the champions from your amazing country. I’ve never been there. What’s happening there, I don’t know. But it’s not nice … under those circumstances he’s managed to become champion.”

The opening round was tentative, with Joshua’s corner calling for him to adjust his rhythm.

The bout continued with Usyk constantly moving and using his jab and body shots to good effect.

Round nine raised the tempo dramatically, with Joshua enjoying his best round before Usyk came back hard in the 10th.

Needing a knockout and running out of time, the taller and heavier Joshua was unable to land the telling blows against an agile and elusive opponent who hit back hard.

At the final bell the two embraced, with the Ukrainian sinking to his knees.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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Hearn who said the fight would take place in June or July disclosed that negotiations were already ongoing.

World heavyweight champion Usyk beat Joshua in front of a sell-out crowd in London in September last year to claim the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”, Usyk returned to his homeland to join a territorial defence battalion, raising doubts about a rematch with Joshua.

However, Usyk said last month that he had begun preparations for the bout, with the Ukrainian’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk disclosing that Saudi Arabia was a potential venue.

“We’re in final negotiations for a couple of sites for either the end of June or early-to-mid-July,” Hearn said on Friday.

“I reckon within two weeks we’ll have some news in terms of where that’s going to be.

“An option is in the UK. The difference is, we don’t really need negotiations with a venue in the UK, we just book it.”

The winner could be in line for a unification bout with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury of Britain.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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Wilder was the aggressor early in the slug fest, using his jab to back up the larger Fury while trying to set up his powerful right hand.

Fury, however, weathered the early storm and knocked Wilder down in the third round but the American responded in the fourth, sending the Briton to the canvas twice with shots to the head from close range.

But Fury continued to bludgeon Wilder as the fight wore on and ended the brutal affair with a clean right hand to the side of his head in the penultimate round.

The battered Wilder reportedly went to hospital immediately after the fight.

With the win, Fury (31-0-1) has now taken two of the three meetings between the rivals after the first fight ended in a controversial draw and Fury dominated the second meeting.

“It was a great fight tonight. It was worthy of any trilogy in the history of the sport,” Fury said.

“Deontay Wilder’s a top fighter. He gave me a real run for my money. I always said I’m the best in the world and he’s second best.”

Fury will likely now look to take on Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the other three titles for a chance to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, 21 years ago.

That fight may have to wait, however, as Britain’s Anthony Joshua earlier in the day triggered his clause for a rematch against Usyk, who defeated him last month to take the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, who announced this moments after the loss to Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine on Saturday in London, said also that his fighter was “devastated” by the defeat.

He however acknowledged that the Joshua camp had no reservations about the result, and the better fighter won the bout.

“Congratulations to Oleksandr Usyk. What a fighter. He put in a great performance and the better man won,” Hearn said.

“I had it reasonably close in the eighth and then Usyk ran away with it.”

Usyk dethroned Joshua in his own backyard with a stunning display to earn a unanimous points decision in front of a sell-out crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 34-year-old former undisputed cruiserweight world champion put on a masterclass to silence the vast majority of the 67,000 fans who packed into the huge arena.

Usyk, giving away height, weight and reach to the champion, proved too elusive for Joshua throughout an enthralling contest and landed the much cleaner shots.

He finished with a flurry in round 12 as he went in search of a knockout.

Joshua stayed upright but the decision was a formality as Usyk seized the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts with the three judges scoring it 117-112, 116-112, 115-113.

Former Olympic champion Usyk, contesting only his third professional heavyweight fight, follows in the footsteps of compatriots Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko.

The Klitschko Brothers dominated the division for a decade from 2004 to 2015.

He is only the third cruiserweight world champion to step up a weight and become the heavyweight world champion after Evander Holyfield and David Haye.

For Joshua, a second career defeat was a crushing blow and scuppered hopes of a unification showdown with fellow Briton Tyson Fury, the WBC title holder.

Fury takes on American Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas on October 9.

Even the most diehard Joshua fans had to concede their man had been schooled by a skillful craftsman who rarely looked ruffled even when sustaining a cut above his eye late on.

Joshua gave the crowd little to cheer and ran out of ideas against his southpaw opponent who was ahead throughout.

A sensational atmosphere greeted the fighters as they made the long walk to the ring, with the crowd in full cry and fireworks blasting into the sky.

But from the first bell, Joshua appeared unsure whether to try to overpower his opponent or outbox him — failing miserably at both.

A nervous hush descended on the stadium in the opening rounds as Usyk’s threat became all too apparent.

Constantly on the move, he rocked Joshua in the third with a powerful left hand.

Usyk retained control in the following rounds as Joshua failed to unleash his supposed superior power and the Londoner was in big trouble again in the seventh round as he was sent staggering backwards by a big left hook.

A nick appeared above Usyk’s eye in the 10th round but Joshua’s face was showing signs of battle damage.

Joshua needed a knockout to retain his belts but it was Usyk who came closest with a ferocious attack at the end of the 12th which left the Briton reeling.

Even before the official result was announced, some Joshua fans were heading for the exits while Usyk’s followers were just getting the party started.

Joshua later took to Twitter, saying: “Keep positive even if the world’s crumbling in front of you! London I love you and thank you each and every time!”

Source: Reuters/NAN

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This was after Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine claimed a stunning unanimous decision win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Usyk was giving up three inches in height and four in reach, as well as nearly 20 pounds in weight, for the fight.

But the former undisputed world cruiserweight champion’s technical acumen came to the fore in an electric atmosphere.

Joshua finished the bout slumped against the ropes as his smaller foe looked for a dramatic finish.

And, as it was not forthcoming, Usyk claimed the WBA, IBF and WBO titles after he was given the nod by all three judges.

Scores of 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 were just reward after a near-masterclass from the unbeaten Usyk.

He became only the third fighter after Evander Holyfield and David Haye to win world titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight.

Joshua was obligated to face WBO mandatory challenger Usyk after a bout against Fury fell through earlier this year.

He appeared philosophical in accepting the result when the scores came as he suffered just the second defeat of his career.

Joshua said on twitter afterwards: “Keep positive even if the world’s crumbling in front of you! London I love you and thank you each and every time!”

As well as giving up several physical advantages to Joshua, Usyk had to contend with the hostile atmosphere that greeted his entrance to the ring from the 66,267 fans who attended the bout.

But he retained an intense focus throughout and his combination of speed and almost non-stop movement from an awkward southpaw stance befuddled Joshua.

Joshua’s right eye became increasingly swollen as the fight wore on after a succession of rapid left hands found their mark.

He was hurt on several occasions, most notably in the final seconds of the fight as a flurry of punches sent him reeling back to the ropes.

Joshua was just about hanging on from the onslaught before being put out of his misery by the judges.

Usyk, who revealed earlier in the week his new-look shaven head and moustache was a nod to his Cossack ancestry, later said via a translator: “The fight went exactly as I expected it to go.

“There were a couple of moments when Anthony pushed me hard but nothing special. I had no objective to knock him out because my corner pushed me not to do that.

“At the start, I hit him and tried to knock him out but my trainer said ‘just stop and do your job’.”

The 34-year-old Ukrainian, who won Olympic heavyweight gold at London 2012 the day before Joshua memorably topped the podium in the super-heavyweight category, was slippery.

He threw in plenty of feints as his opponent tried without much success to establish his jab.

This was just Usyk’s third fight at heavyweight, having moved up to boxing’s blue riband division two years ago.

But he established an early pattern of success as Joshua was unable to get going.

Usyk had his head jolted back in the third round by a picture-perfect left-cross before the outgoing champion fired back a warning shot.

But it was a fantastic start from the challenger, whose only concern early on was a small cut underneath his right eye.

Joshua did get his right hand working in the fifth and sixth rounds, undoubtedly his best in the fight.

But Usyk reasserted his authority at the start of the second half of the fight, another left hook sending Joshua staggering backwards before regaining his footing.

Even at this point it seemed Joshua’s grasp on his titles was slipping.

Another savage left in the ninth drew a nod of appreciation from Joshua, who had developed a welt under one of his eyes.

Both combatants seemed to slow down in the championship rounds, but Usyk was still noticeably quicker than his foe.

Joshua entered the last round needing at least one or two knockdowns to have an impact on the scorecards.

But he could not fashion anything and it was Usyk who closed the show as the bell came to his opponent’s rescue.

Source: dpa/NAN

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Fury, 32, won the WBC world heavyweight title from Wilder in a rematch in February 2020 after an initial draw.

The pair were due to fight again but delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic prompted Fury to seek an alternative.

On Monday a US judge ruled in mediation that Wilder has a right to face Fury for a third time before 15 September.

The American’s team had long argued their fighter had a contractual right to a third fight with Fury.

But after delays caused by the pandemic led to a July 2020 contest being postponed, Wilder’s team sought to move the bout to 2021.

Fury refused the 2021 date and said he would move on.

That prompted mediation overseen by American judge Daniel Weinstein, who has now sided with Wilder and set a 15 September deadline for a third contest.

Fury’s US promoters Top Rank did not wish to comment on the development when contacted by BBC Sport.

Just 24 hours before Monday’s arbitration hearing, Fury confirmed he had agreed to fight fellow Briton Joshua – holder of the IBF, WBA and WBO belts – for all four heavyweight world titles in Saudi Arabia on 14 August.

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has also said several times that the August bout was in place, with terms agreed.

The mediation outcome does not necessarily mean a Fury-Joshua fight cannot take place in August but fresh deals will now need to be struck for it to do so.

That could mean Wilder being offered money to allow Fury-Joshua to take place.

Saudi authorities are reportedly putting forward around £106m just to stage the Fury-Joshua contest.

Pay-per-view sales and ticket sales will serve to substantially add to the total revenue of the contest.

If it goes ahead, Joshua versus Fury will be the first bout in heavyweight history where all four world titles are on the line.

Source: BBC

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