Joshua KO’s Pulev, sets up prospect of Fury bout

Anthony Joshua returned to ruthless form by dispatching Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds in London on Saturday.

The WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight champion retained his titles by turning on the power switch to drop Pulev twice in the ninth round. Pulev crumbled under a barrage of right uppercuts and was then finished by a straight right hand.

It was Joshua’s first knockout win since his most recent performance on home soil in September 2018.

Joshua said after the fight he wants to return to the ring soon after being out for over a year. Tyson Fury, the WBC and lineal heavyweight champion, does not have a fight booked at this time and Top Rank’s Bob Arum tweeted Saturday his intentions to make a fight between the two.

Floyd Mayweather Jr., the former pound-for-pound boxing No. 1 and now retired, made the trip from the United States to be among 1,000 present at The SSE Arena and was the first to congratulate Joshua at ringside.