At the O2 Arena in London last night, Anthony Joshua made a successful first defence of his IBF heavyweight crown.
Matched against Dominic Breazeale, a fighter who had won all seventeen of his fights, fifteen by knockout, Joshua controlled the action and never looked in any danger. Breazeale put up a strong challenge and his durability saw Joshua taken into the seventh round for only the second time in his seventeen fight career, the other time being the grudge-fight with Dillian Whyte.
The first round was a cagey affair, two giants of the ring sizing each other up but the second round saw Breazeale come under fire with the American being rocked by a huge right and just about found enough strength to survive the round.
Joshua had the challenger trapped on the ropes in the third round but the American responded with a flurry of punches of his own.
The champion continued to assert his authority and in the fifth round Breazeale was already on unsteady legs when Joshua landed a big left hook.
With it looking very much as if Joshua would be venturing into unchartered territory Breazeale, in the seventh round, hit the canvas after a barrage of punches. The American clambered to his feet but was soon back on the canvas a few seconds later and the referee, correctly, stopped the fight.
Addressing the O2 Arena crowd afterward the fight, Joshua had this to say,
?It’s been tough.
‘I only had two weeks off after my last fight and got straight back in the gym. I can have a nice little break for once and come back with recharged batteries.’
As for the next fight, Joshua could take on the IBF?s mandatory challenger, the Kiwi Joseph Parker. However, there was a glint in his eye when the name of Tyson Fury was mentioned with Joshua remarking,
‘I was really looking at Tyson Fury.
‘I hope he gets better soon, as I was hoping to get that sometime in the winter if everything went well.
‘We’re going to have to reschedule that and look at other opponents like Parker if he’s vacant or anybody else that the people want.
‘I need to rest. I’m tired. I’m working hard. And now I can get some rest and recharge my batteries and start afresh again.’
Another good nights work making it 17-0 with all 17 coming by way of the big knockout for the emerging superstar of boxing.
Joshua KO?s Breazeale in Round 7
