Anthony Joshua put Zhilei Zhang flat on his back with ferocious punch at Olympics during gold medal run but rival then accused him of ‘running away’

Anthony Joshua sent Zhilei Zhang to the canvas in a historic win on his London 2012 Olympic gold medal run.

Joshua had a stellar amateur career which culminated in him representing Team GB at their home 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The heavyweight had the weight of a nation on his shoulders, and he came up against Chinese powerhouse Zhang in the second round.

It was a tough draw for AJ given Zhang had already won silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the same category in the previous instalment.

But it was a challenge that the Briton rose to in spectacular fashion as the super-heavyweights collided.

In the first round Joshua managed to get his nose in front as he outboxed ‘Big Bang’ who needed time to get going to stand a chance over a three-round contest.

But in the middle round of the showdown, Joshua produced a moment of brilliance.

The Olympic star detonated a thumping right hand down the pipe which flew straight into the headguard of the helpless Zhang.

He was sent crashing to the canvas on his back, as he tasted the power of the young rising star.

Zhang managed to rise to his feet but knew time was running out as the bell sounded for the final round.

‘Big Bang’ went on the offensive but was unable to find the target with Joshua resisting the temptation to trade and closing out a fine win in front of a raucous home crowd.

Joshua was handed the judges’ decision when the result was announced, as he won 15-11 which saw him progress to the next round and was guaranteed a bronze medal.

Since the pair have launched their professional careers, Zhang has reflected on the famous night.

And he accused his rival of retreating at the end of the fight.

“From what I remember back then the venue was very full,” he said of their London clash.

“I got dropped in the second round, I got up real quick, and then he started to run away for the whole of round three.

“And then the fight was over, just like that. I lost by decision.”

He later added on a professional fight: “I would love to fight AJ in China because of our amateur backgrounds.

“The venue is there, the Bird’s Nest holds 100,000, so we have it all.

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“Beijing and Shanghai are the biggest cities, very economically developed and boxing in China is growing.

“The sports fans there like boxing, they like AJ, so if we can make it happen it would be huge for boxing.”

AJ went on to pick up the gold medal at the famous tournament, which saw him become hot property as he awaited a professional career.

Joshua and Zhang haven’t fought since but have both gone on to have top-level careers in the professional ranks.

The Briton has reigned as a unified world heavyweight champion having beaten the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin during his undefeated streak.

But he was left stunned in an incredible upset by Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, which saw him lose his belts.

He quickly regained them in a rematch later that year, before losing them to Oleksandr Usyk in stunning fashion in 2021.

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AJ failed to earn them back in a sequel the following year, but is now rebuilding and is on a four-fight winning streak.

Zhang is also pushing his way into world title contention, and recently knocked out Deontay Wilder in exceptional fashion this year.

It is unlikely the Chinese star will receive any imminent title shot with the world title belts tied up.

Joshua will next face Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on September 21 for the IBF title, which was vacated by Usyk.

Usyk and Fury will rematch on December 21, and the winner of both fights is expected to meet for all the marbles in 2025.