AJ’S CONQUEST FOR THE AGES

Joshua’s epic victory over Klitschko was the best fight of the last 20 years, arguably the best-ever battle in Britain and one of the greatest events in the long, glorious history of Wembley Stadium

WEMBLEY’S corridors are adorned with photos of the stadium’s greatest moments in its two incarnations.

There is the 1953 FA Cup Final, the 1968 European Cup Final, the 1985 rugby league Challenge Cup Final, Brunomccall and of course 1966. After Saturday, there needs to be room for one more picture on the walls because Anthony Joshua’s victory over Wladimir Klitschko deserves a place in this pantheon. This fight does not need the passing of time to bestow it with greatness – it had it the moment referee David Fields waved it off in the 11th round to signal a sensational win for Joshua. It was an instant classic, our Rumble in the Jungle, our Thrilla in Manila, our Fight of the Century. Often fights do not live up to the hype, but this justified its massive billing – and more. It was like a Rocky script and had Joshua recovering from being floored for the first time as a pro to Klitschko going down three times and moments when either man looked on the brink of victory or defeat. For the post-war record crowd of 90,000 streaming out into the night, it was an ‘I was there moment’ to tell the grandkids moment and for the record pay-per-view audience of more than 1.15million paying £19.95, it was just as thrilling. Such is his humility, Joshua’s first words when he got back to his dressing room were to ask if it was a good fight. A good fight! Behave. The DVD is probably already on sale on the stalls at Wembley market which he used to frequent. Joshua was already big, but now he has become gargantuan, super-sized, legendary, epic because of the manner of his win. “I remember Sugar Ray Leonard said that for all the skill you may have, there are times when you have to show character,” said the new unified IBF, WBA and IBO heavyweight king. “And that without that character and ability to go into the trenches, you’re never going to do great things in the sport. I don’t want to crumble, I will do whatever I need to do to come out on top. I walk it as I talk it. “You get knocked down eight times, you get up eight times, that’s what life’s about. It just shows if you keep going, you come out on top, not just in a fight, but that’s what life is about.” Joshua, 27, showed bags of character after Klitschko decked him in the sixth. He was gone and only his sheer bloodymindedness kept him going. He was hanging on in the seventh and eighth, but he still joked with Klitschko that he was coming for him. “I told him, ‘I’m just going to get through this round then whop your a**e’ in the next round’,” he said. After his breather, Joshua did what he does best – flattening opponents. He claims his destruction of the former world heavyweight king in the 11th round shows there is no one he cannot stop. “I can knock out anyone,” he said. “I’m not the best at everything, but what I’m good at, I’ll do to my best and if I keep on improving on these little things I do good, then I definitely think I can knock anyone out and hurt any opponent. “I can only improve. It will be interesting to see what the next two to three years hold for my career.” If Saturday is anything to go by, it is going to be one hell of a ride.

BIT HIT (from left) Klitschko down in the fifth, Joshua lashing out in the fourth, with the belts and mutual respect DOWN & OUT Joshua watches as his rival is finished in the 11th round and (below) Muhammad destroys Sony Liston in 1965