Former heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko (64-5, 53 KOs) felt like a winner, even in defeat, after suffering a stoppage loss at the hands of Anthony Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs) in late April.

Before a crowd of 90,000 fans at Wembley in London, Joshua and Klitschko collided for the IBF, WBA, IBO world titles.

Klitschko went down in the fifth round, but rallied hard to drop Joshua in the sixth and took over the fight before Joshua scored two more knockdowns to force a stoppage in the eleventh.

After the fight, Klitschko received more praise from the fans than he's ever received for any his victories.

There is a rematch clause in the contract, and it appears the second fight is going to happen in the fall. It's unclear which of the three titles will be at stake in the second fight. The IBF has ordered Joshua to make a mandatory defense against Kubrat Pulev and there is also a mandatory obligation under the WBA, to Cuban puncher Luis Ortiz.

The details for the Joshua vs. Klitschko rematch should be resolved in the coming weeks.

"After years of constantly preparing myself up for victory, this is a completely new experience. I now understand that success does not necessarily mean achieving a set goal. Instead, success means achieving the best possible result. Sometimes we cannot see beforehand what the best possible result might be. In the end, it was Anthony Joshua who struck the decisive blow and left the ring victorious. I failed to achieve my goal of winning, but I did in fact gain much more than this," Klitschko told LinkedIn.

"I never thought I would say such a thing, but: in defeat, I achieved much greater success than I would have had I won. Fans and sports enthusiasts worldwide are celebrating my performance and showing me their appreciation. Even my opponent expressed his respect for me. The responses that I received and continue to receive after this night of boxing are overwhelming. Commentators reported that I showed greatness even in defeat.

"It took a while for me to get over not winning in the ring. Yet I immediately experienced an increase in recognition and respect. When I appeared at Wembley Stadium on April 29, I was booed by the majority of the spectators. Joshua had a clear home advantage as an Englishman. But as I left the ring again, I got goosebumps. Tens of thousands of people who had wanted me to be defeated were applauding me. I experienced enthusiasm, encouragement and respect: for me, my performance, my fair fight and my boxing as a whole. I cannot wish for anything better."