Anthony Joshua’s fight against Alexander Povetkin on Saturday night in London was more than just a boxing match; it was a spectacle.
The fight marked Joshua’s debut on DAZN, the new sports streaming service, which did its best to put on a high-quality show for its viewers. They had Michael Buffer as the ring announcer, and they took things up a notch with an overwhelming ring walk from Joshua.
Joshua emerged from smoke and made his way through a packed, dark Wembley Stadium to the ring. He was accompanied by the music of rapper Nines.
@anthonyfjoshua's ring walk is always a sight to behold…just the sheer number of fans he draws to the arena makes EVERY fight he has massive #JoshuaPovetkin #RingsideRave pic.twitter.com/sqPd5Lti4i
— Ringside Rave (@RingsideRave) September 22, 2018
It’s cold; it’s rainy. It’s the unified heavyweight championship before 80,000 plus at Wembley Stadium in London. The biggest star in the sport, Anthony Joshua, makes his way to the ring for his fight with Alexander Povetkin #JoshuaPovetkin pic.twitter.com/PUZTgmduQa
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) September 22, 2018
Joshua bumped fists with many of the fans on his way to the ring.
It’s go time. @anthonyfjoshua makes his way out to the ring!
It’s not too late to get in on the #JoshuaPovetkin action. Watch here: https://t.co/j4BIUf4XnH pic.twitter.com/OYD78dLJB5
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) September 22, 2018
The lengthy ring walk, which many viewers compared to wrestler The Undertaker, established that Joshua was the star of the show.
He won via 7th-round TKO to retain his four heavyweight championship belts and improve to 22-0. A fight against Deontay Wilder can’t come soon enough.
