Anthony Joshua vs. Dominic Breazeale: Fight Time, Date, TV Info and Preview

Anthony Joshua tops the bill at the O2 Arena in London once again on Saturday.

The popular heavyweight makes the first defence of his IBF title against fellow unbeaten fighter Dominic Breazeale at a place that has quickly become his boxing home.

Joshua (16-0, 16 KOs) became champion by wiping out Charles Martin inside two rounds at the O2 in April. Now he returns to the same venue, looking to make a further statement to the rest of the division.

Like his opponent, Breazeale (17-0, 15 KOs) fought at the 2012 Olympics. But while Joshua went on to strike gold, the American failed to clear the first hurdle in the super heavyweight category.

Someone will have to lose his perfect record in what is the headline act on a pay-per-view card in the English capital.

When: Saturday at 10:30 p.m. BST (5:30 p.m. ET)

Where: O2 Arena, London

TV: Sky Sports Box Office (UK), Showtime (U.S.)

Rapid Progress

It wasn't meant to happen this quickly.

When Joshua turned pro the year after the London Games, there was real hope he could eventually make an impact in a division that one man—Wladimir Klitschko—had dominated for far too long.

However, no one could have predicted he would be a world champion after just 34 rounds in the paid ranks.

Apart from one bump in the road by the name of Dillian Whyte, who wobbled his old amateur rival in Round 2 in December 2015, Joshua has made light work of every opponent put in front of him.

Martin was the last of his victims; the American proved to be a poor world champion, as he lost his crown in a hurry.

Now another fighter has travelled across the Atlantic, looking to put an end to Joshua's perfect streak.

Joshua, as is often the case, has kept it simple in the buildup.

Per Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, the Englishman said at Thursday's final press conference: "I'm prepared, Dominic is prepared well, and one of us has to take a loss. Each fight is a steppingstone to the big tests. I want to look like the real deal."

There's an added incentive to impress. Showtime will screen the bout live in the United States, which means a new audience gets the chance to witness his destructive power.

Breazeale is an acceptable choice for a first defence, but things will only get tougher from here on out.

Joshua's rapid rise has pushed him quickly toward huge fights with fellow world champions Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder. Klitschko could also be another lucrative option.

David Haye is always out there too, beating up journeymen while waiting for a seat at the top table.

Joshua is a man in demand. The 26-year-old from Watford is box-office viewing whom fans and fighters gravitate toward, which makes him the golden ticket for his promoter, Eddie Hearn.

Time for Trouble

BEN STANSALL/Getty Images

Breazeale is nicknamed Trouble.

On Saturday, he could be in a whole heap of it. The Californian is priced at 23-2 for victory, according to Odds Shark.

However, this opportunity is too good for him to turn down.

He told Sky Sports News HQ (h/t Stephen Turner of SkySports.com): "It means everything. It'd be the last eight hard years: from the road work to the strength conditioning to the sparring; getting in there with experienced guys when I was young; eating right and sleeping right.

"It's everything piled up into one. It's my Super Bowl."

The Super Bowl reference is appropriate, since Breazeale once played quarterback at the University of Northern Colorado.

His bid to become IBF champion feels like a Hail Mary pass in American football—but sometimes those make-or-break moments fall your way.

The 30-year-old does have an 88 per cent knockout ratio as a pro, but his CV doesn't contain too many notable names.

He went 10 rounds in September 2015 with the durable but limited Fred Kassi, who lost on a technical decision to Hughie Fury in April.

Amir Mansour dropped Breazeale last time out in January. Although he did get up, he was losing on all three scorecards when his opponent bit through his tongue and was forced to retire.

At 6'7", Breazeale can stand eye-to-eye with the 6'6" champion. But can he stand toe-to-toe with him too?

His only chance seems to be throwing caution to the wind, because trying to last it out with Joshua is a strategy doomed to fail.

Prediction

It is hard to see how Breazeale, an inexperienced fighter, can cope with Joshua.

As Kevin Mitchell pointed out in the Guardian: "His [Breazeale's] performance in the most recent of his 17 fights suggests the late starter with an American football background does not have the boxing pedigree to create the openings against a champion who is growing in stature with each crushing victory."

The champion will retain his title in a hurry, recording a stoppage win inside the opening three rounds.

Bleacher Report will be running a live blog to cover the action at the O2 Arena. Join us for updates from 8 p.m. BST (3 p.m. ET).