Anthony Joshua defeated Zhilei Zhang in a historic victory during his London 2012 Olympic gold medal run.

Joshua had a successful amateur career and represented Team GB at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Joshua met Zhang and organized a boxing clinic.

The heavyweight had the weight of a nation on his shoulders when he faced Chinese superpower Zhang in the second round.

AJ faced a challenging draw, as Zhang had previously won silver in the same event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

However, when the super-heavyweights collided, the Briton rose to the occasion spectacularly.

Joshua managed to move ahead in the opening round by outboxing ‘Big Bang’, who needed time to get going in order to have a chance in a three-round fight.

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.

Joshua left Zhang on the mat before getting a massive win.

‘Big Bang’ went on the offensive but was unable to locate the target, with Joshua rejecting the urge to trade and finishing out a convincing victory in front of a loud home crowd.

When the results were presented, Joshua was handed the judges’ verdict, as he won 15-11, advancing to the next round and guaranteeing himself 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.

Joshua has yet to meet Zhang but has had a sensational career.

“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.

Zhang is planning one final push for the world crown.

AJ failed to recoup his losses in a sequel the following year, but he is now rebuilding and has won four straight fights.

Zhang is a rising contender for the world title, having recently defeated Deontay Wilder in an impressive performance.

With the world title belts tied up, the Chinese star is unlikely to receive a title shot anytime soon.

Joshua will face Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on September 21 for the IBF title, which Usyk abandoned.

Usyk and Fury will rematch on December 21, with the victor of both fights expected to face off for the championship in 2025.