Anthony Joshua’s chances of unifying the world heavyweight titles next year are in tatters after he was outclassed by Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The dangerous Ukrainian put on a stunning display to take AJ’s WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO belts in front of a sell-out crowd in north London.
Joshua, who suffered a nasty eye injury and looked shattered at the final bell, has a rematch clause and will now face a vital return clash against Usyk as both eye a huge unification blockbuster against either Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder in 2022.
Joshua ended the 12th and final round of the contest backed up on the ropes, with the cheers of a crowd of more than 62,000 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium no match for the skills of his challenger.
The impressive Ukrainian triumphed 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 on the scorecards of the three judges in just the former undisputed cruiserweight world champion’s third bout as a heavyweight.