Anthony Joshua has beaten Wladimir Klitschko with an 11th round stoppage in a thrilling heavyweight title fight in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley.

Both fighters were on the brink of defeat at various stages, with Joshua recovering from a knockdown that had him hanging on in the middle rounds to steady the ship and stop the Ukrainian.

:: IN PICTURES - The epic fight

Klitschko, 41, defied many who believed he would be steamrollered in the early rounds by his younger opponent, and held off the Briton behind his jab.

Joshua's post-fight video message to fans

Joshua charged out with a ferocious onslaught in the fifth that sent Klitschko to the canvas, but a remarkable turnaround saw him catch the British fighter with several telling shots, leaving Joshua clinging on and gasping for air.


Smelling blood in the sixth, a stinging straight right from Klitschko knocked Joshua down for the first time in his professional career, with the Watford-born fighter struggling to stay in the fight.

Joshua: I'm not perfect but I'm trying

A heartstopping few rounds followed for the 2012 Olympic champion as he appeared spent and unsteady, throwing little back to worry Klitschko.

With the veteran fighter using his years of ring craft to edge ahead on some pundits' scorecards, time appeared to be ticking down for Joshua.

He needed something big in the final rounds and he delivered - big time.

:: Best Twitter reactions to Joshua's victory

Image: Joshua v Klitschko: After walks around the ring, fireworks and the national anthems, the fight began Image: Joshua shook Klitschko before sending him down with a volley of punches in a pulsating fifth round Image: But Klitschko hit back and pinned Joshua to the ropes to turn the round on its head Image: Joshua fought back and later rounds slowed down after a pulsating start Image: Joshua was knocked to the canvas by 41-year-old Klitschko in the sixth round Image: The Ukrainian was also sent crashing to the floor in the fifth round and twice more in the pivotal 11th Image: Joshua and Klitschko traded huge punches before Joshua finally found a way to finish the longtime former champion Image: The crowd urged the Briton forward as he began to gain the upper hand Image: Joshua landed further blows to Klitschko as fans sensed he was closing in on an epic victory Image: The fight was stopped at 2:25 of the 11th. Joshua was up 96-93 and 95-93 on two scorecards, while Klitschko was ahead 95-93 on the third Image: The 27-year-old fighter took his record to 19 wins in 19 fights /

The bell for the 11th saw Joshua rejuvenated, a beautiful uppercut teeing up the first knockdown, then a left hook sending Klitschko down again - only for the Ukrainian to show immense heart to drag himself off the canvas.

A final flurry forced the referee to step in and save an exhausted Klitschko from further punishment.

The thrilling nature of Joshua's win - who adds the WBA and IBO titles to his IBF version - is likely to propel him to household-name status in Britain.

:: From streetfighter to heavyweight boxing superstar

On a global level, a place on boxing's top table awaits at a time when the sport - and particularly the heavyweight division - has struggled to stay in the public consciousness.

Image: Anthony Joshua is all smiles after his victory over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Image: The Briton's big entrance didn't disappoint Image: The Brit has sealed his place at the peak of world boxing, after the thrilling win Image: Wladimir Klitschko with a cut to his eye after the match Image: Klitschko (left) with his brother Vitali Image: The fight was good-natured before and afterwards as Joshua and Klitschko pose for the cameras together Image: The pair fought the epic contest in front of a Wembley crowd of 90,000 Image: Friends and family celebrate Joshua's victory which adds the WBA world heavyweight title to his IBF crown Image: Football legend Rio Ferdinand joins in the celebrations Image: Joshua with his training team, who played their part in spurring him on to deliver the clinical blows that led to victory Image: Joshua with London Mayor Sadiq Khan after the bout Image: His team of staff and trainers with the hero of the night /

For Klitschko - who perhaps with an extra few punches might have finished Joshua - it could spell retirement, especially after his previous defeat more than a year and a half ago by Britain's Tyson Fury.

A rematch clause is in the contract, but whether he wants to take it up is a different matter.

:: British heavyweight bouts that gripped the world

But the Ukrainian's performance was equally as memorable as Joshua's.

Fourteen years older than his opponent, he showed why he is one of boxing's most respected and enduring fighters but will go away with the refrain of "what if" ringing in his ears.

"It was really sad I didn't make it tonight," Klitschko said minutes after the defeat. "I was planning to do it. It didn't work. But all respect to Anthony."

Image: Joshua added the WBA and IBO belts to his IBF title. Pic: @eddiehearn

With the crowd in raptures, Joshua told them: "Boxing is about character, as I said from the get go it will be a boxing

classic, find what you believe in and give it a go."

"I'm not going to say too much, in terms of the boxing hall of fame, [Klitschko's] a role model in and out of the ring," he added.