Box-fixing’: Boxing fans say AJ vs Usyk bout was tinkered
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.
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.
‘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.’
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Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, 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.