Round 1

Usyk, in the Ukraine colours, tries to spring out the jab to find the range. Joshua lands with a straight left early on. both men springing around on an early fact-finding mission.

A good right hook from Joshua lands, but Usyk takes it nicely. Usyk fires in a left, which catches the head of Joshua and there’s the first round in the books. Tentative from both men, but a close opener.

“We need more presence in the centre of the ring,” Joshua is told by his corner.

Round 2

Joshua tries to mix it up with a crushing right hand to the Usyk body, but the champion shows no signs of being hurt by that one.

Another straight right from Joshua gets some cheers from the British fans, but, just like the first, it’s a tight round to call.

Round 3

Better from Joshua with a left instantly followed by a right, although the Usyk defence was strong and soaked up some of the power from those two shots.

A right uppercut from Joshua, a shot which we’ve seen him have so much success with in the past, but this time Usyk is too quick and dances out the way of it. Good signs of aggression though from Joshua, although he has to be careful to not leave himself open for counters.

Robert Garcia tells Joshua “we’re three [rounds to] zero”, which seems extremely generous. “You’re winning every round champ,” Joshua is then told. Not too sure Joshua has won all three myself, but every round is a close one.

Round 4

Usyk dances forward and is starting to be more aggressive, but that draws a response from Joshua who also looks to step up the pace himself.

It’s closer than the first meeting was and it all depends on what you like as to how you’d be scoring this one. Just a few signs that it’s beginning to heat up nicely.

Round 5

Into the fifth. A sweeping right hook from Joshua catches the Usyk gloves but still forces the champion to wobble a bit backwards. But Joshua can’t build on that and ever so quickly Usyk is back in action.

Usyk then complains that Joshua has caught him with a low shot.

A good body shot from Joshua and again Usyk is forced back, momentarily bouncing off the ropes. Better from Joshua.

That was some of Joshua’s best work and is the power to the body shots going to be the way to go? Five gone, and it’s anyone’s fight.

Round 6

A straight right and left hook from Joshua connects, but Usyk instantly responds with some rapid shots to the Joshua body.

Joshua then goes for a swinging left hook but can only make a glancing contact.

Joshua lands with a couple and a huge roar comes from his fans. But again he’s only having limited success and can’t build on it with Usyk too quick, too skilful and too elusive. Six gone and it’s very hard to call this one. “Jab, jab, right to the body,” is what Joshua is told to do.

Round 7

A left to the body is on target from Joshua, a swinging left hook isn’t.

Usyk finds a short left and another. He seems to be growing in confidence, happy he can nullify AJ’s attacks. Usyk lets the arms go in the final few seconds of the seventh but can’t land cleanly.

Round 8

A brief stoppage as the canvas needs to be dried off and someone leaps in with a towel to dry up the canvas. And away we go again.

Some fast hands from Usyk, but two, three brutal shots to the body from Joshua. His best work has seen the punches into the Usyk body, but it needs to be more frequent and a sustained attack. At the moment it’s one or two shots of success, then nothing following it up with Usyk escaping from trouble.

Round 9

Usyk gets through the ninth but is that the turning point. Joshua with, by miles, his best work of the contest, catching Usyk four or five times without answering. Usyk is having to go backwards trying to escape the danger.

Round 10

Usyk attacks again in the 10th. Both men have taken huge shots in this round.

Usyk attacks once more, landing at will at the end of the 10th. Joshua had a stunning ninth, but Usyk, showing why he’s the champion with a brilliant 10th.

But Joshua still did manage one great punch himself. However, that could still be a soul-destroying round for Joshua.

Two rounds to go. Joshua needs something special and quickly.

Round 12

Usyk sinks to his knees in the middle of the ring at the final bell. He thinks he has done enough to retain his titles. We will soon find out if he’s right.