At the Manchester Arena last night Anthony Joshua successfully defended his IBF world heavyweight title by stopping his challenger, Eric Molina, inside three rounds.
With the Arena full to capacity and with some big heavyweight names in the arena ? Tyson Fury, Shannon Briggs, David Haye and Frank Bruno to name but a few, Joshua dispatched Molina in the same brutal fashion he?s finished off his previous seventeen fights.
Ahead of the fight Molina had talked a good fight, inferring that he was coming to these shores to shock the nation and would be knocking Joshua out.
As it turned out Molina was to barely lay a punch on the confident, athletic champion.
Once the bell sounded Joshua closed the space down between himself and Molina, looking for any opening for him to unleash his powerful punches. The first round was a cagey three minutes but Joshua served up his intentions with regards to what was to come by catching Molina with a decent left hook just before the bell sounded.
The second round produced much of the same, Joshua was stalking his man waiting for that opening but Molina was using all his experience to keep safe and out of range.
The third though was to be the defining round. Joshua stepped up a gear, closed Molina down quicker and with Molina trapped in the corner a short overhand right caught Molina flush and he was down on the canvas.
Molina did well to get up but the respite was only temporary, Joshua stepped forward caching Molina with a flurry of blows. The referee, Steve Gray, stepped in to save Molina from further hurt and the IBF champion had come through his latest test.
Talking about once again producing the goods and silencing his critics, Joshua had this to say after the fight,
“It was slow, patient and calculating. You are dealing with someone who is not giving you many options, so I had to create them and, once I saw it, I managed to connect properly and knocked him out.?
“He had maybe two shots, but he is not a Kiltschko, he is not a Haye, he is not all of these other fighters.
“That’s why I don’t get too hyped, that’s why I took him out like I should. I am going to keep on handling business like I should.?
Joshua?s record now stands at 18-0 with all 18 wins coming by way of knockout.
Joshua KO?s Molina in 3 Rounds
