Anthony Joshua Made to Wait as George Groves Impresses at the O2 Arena
For once, Anthony Joshua had to be patient. The IBF heavyweight champion was never really tested by Dominic Breazeale, but he was forced to wait until Round 7 to force a stoppage victory.
The Englishman dominated from start to finish before eventually putting away his American challenger to move to 17-0 (17 KOs) as a professional.
Also on the same card at the O2 Arena in London, George Groves boosted his hopes of another world-title tilt with a unanimous points win over Martin Murray.
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Bleacher Report takes a look back at some of the major talking points to emerge from a pay-per-view bill that also featured Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn, two young fighters with famous names.
Easy Does It
If you were to just see the result, you might think Joshua had to work for his latest victory. If you watched the fight, however, you'll know that wasn't the case.
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist did end up with a bloody nose, but at no stage did he appear in danger of surrendering his crown. He was too quick, too sharp and too powerful for Breazeale, who did well to drag the bout out for as long as he did.
The CompuBox stats backed up the eye test—Joshua was the dominant fighter in the ring.
The problem for Breazeale, who suffered his first pro defeat to move to 17-1 (15 KOs), was his lack of movement.
The 30-year-old was too easy to hit. Far too easy to hit. Think of him like a 6'7" pinata, only without all the sweetie goodness inside. Andy Lee pointed out Breazeale's weaknesses on Twitter:
A former American football quarterback during his college days, he threw his fair share of Hail Mary attempts without ever coming close to completing one.
The only area where Breazeale did impress was his heart. He withstood some heavy shots and fought on despite barely being able to see out of his one eye from Round 3 onward.
Some would call it bravery to stick around for so long. Others might judge it as foolishness. Either way, Breazeale earned his paycheck.
But, even though he stuck around, his efforts didn't tell us anything new about Joshua.
FightNews.com tweeted two areas of concern:
Add to that a question over Joshua's stamina. He looked comfortable going beyond Round 3 for just the second time in his career, but he was able to fight at his own pace due to his foe's plodding style.
That's not to say he's going to blow up in the closing rounds. It's just we don't know yet.
You can be sure the Joshua will strive to keep improving ahead of much tougher tests than the valiant Breazeale.
What Next?
We may now be at the stage in Joshua's career where he has to take on a major name in the division.
Thankfully, there are a plethora of options at heavyweight. It also helps that the 26-year-old is a money-making machine, attracting big crowds to arenas and tempting people to pay for the privilege of watching him on their televisions at home.
Joseph Parker is the mandatory challenger to the IBF belt. The unbeaten New Zealander is booked in to face Solomon Haumono on July 21, so he could be ready to face Joshua before the end of 2016.
Deontay Wilder was an interested spectator working for Showtime Sports in the United States. The WBC champion tweeted after watching from afar:
Joshua is keen on the prospect of facing the unbeaten American. He told Sky Sports Box Office (h/t Gareth A Davies of the Telegraph):
"I'm making waves in the US now and one day I'm sure Deontay Wilder and I will get to experience what each other are all about. I was initially looking at Fury, but his ankle has postponed things, so now I will look at other opponents, like Parker. I had initially wanted Fury in the winter, but not now.
Now I want rest, to recharge my batteries before I get to it again.
"
Just like Wilder, David Haye was keeping a close eye on Joshua.
Working ringside for Sky Sports Box Office, the two-weight world champion said in the aftermath (h/t Isaac Robinson of SkySports.com): "The more I've watched him [Joshua], the more confident I've got. He's looked better winning his fights in style but the way he's won them, I don't believe it's anywhere near enough to beat me in any way, shape or form."
Haye, Parker or Wilder—any of them will do. These are the circles the IBF champion now needs to mix in.
Pick of the Bunch
As expected, Groves vs. Murray was the best fight of the night.
The two super middleweights didn't disappoint, going the distance in a battle that started slowly but gathered momentum as the rounds ticked by.
By the end of Round 12, Groves was a clear winner. Murray had been on the end of some dubious officiating in the past—the draw against Felix Sturm in 2011 in particular—but this time he had no complaints.
Murray was victorious in a way—it was something of a success that he made it through to the final bell. There were times when he looked ready to fall, only to somehow stay upright and survive.
Groves looked good. Really good.
The partnership with trainer Shane McGuigan has seen a return to the old Groves, the one who gave Carl Froch serious problems in their two meetings and who outsmarted bitter rival James DeGale.
He stalked his opponent with his shoulders hunched, probing with the jab to set up his favoured right hand.
There were still some moments of the other side of Groves. He was caught too easily at times, particularly in Round 10 when Murray suddenly felt he could cause an upset.
In the end, Saint George showed he is mentally and physically ready for another world-title shot. He retained his WBA International strap, putting him near the front of the queue with that governing body.
Felix Sturm is/was the full champion. However, he failed a drug test, and the WBA are yet to announce what will happen with the belt.
As for Murray, he suggested he is not done just yet.
Perhaps super middleweight is too big for a man who has spent most of his career down a division at 160 pounds. Perhaps, at the age of 33 and after 38 bouts, the miles on the clock are taking their toll.
However, Murray wants to keep on fighting. He deserves to choose when the time is right to hang up the gloves, but Groves was simply too much for him to handle.
Moving On Up
Eubank Jr. defended his British middleweight title with ease on Saturday.
Welshman Tom Doran was brave but overwhelmed by a man who is too good to be campaigning at domestic level.
Thankfully, it seems Eubank Jr. and his team feel the same way.
All the talk after the fight focused on a potential fight with Gennady Golovkin, the main man in the middleweight division who has a 35-0 (32 KOs) record and holds the WBA Super and IBF titles.
Eubank Jr. told Sky Sports (h/t Richard Damerell of SkySports.com): "It's all about making statements. I feel I'm at world level now and can be challenging for world titles. Gennady Golovkin—I'm coming for you and I'm coming for your belts. Everybody's scared of you but I'm coming for you."
That isn't just talk either. There's a genuine possibility a fight is signed within the next seven days.
Golovkin's camp are keen on the idea, judging from promoter Tom Loeffler's tweet:
It remains to be seen if the two sides get the deal over the line.
Is Eubank Jr. ready for such a huge task anyway? Maybe, maybe not. But he deserves some credit for his willingness to face a man whom others (I'm looking at you, Saul Alvarez) are doing their best to ignore.
He will not lack for confidence either. The 26-year-old—and his famous father, Chris Eubank—will relish the chance to go up against one of the best in the world.
Rather than just write him off, Eubank Jr. should be respected for his willingness to go after GGG. Now we wait to see a signed contract to confirm it is actually happening.
Quick Summary
Here is a paragraph apiece for some of the other fighters who appeared on the bill.
Heavyweight Dillian Whyte needed six rounds to see off Ivica Bacurin. He is back out in Leeds, England, at the end of July and needs to be kept busy on his comeback from shoulder surgery.
After two frantic fights to start his pro career, Conor Benn looked a far better boxer in knocking out Lukas Radic in Round 1. Keep in mind Benn is still only 19 and learning on the job.
Khalid Yafai—who stopped Jozsef Ajtai inside two minutes—needs a world-title fight. We already knew the super flyweight could dismantle inferior opposition, so it is time to give him a test that his talent merits.
John Wayne Hibbert found Andrea Scarpa too much to handle, in the process missing out on claiming the vacant WBC Silver super lightweight title.
Anthony Ogogo forced Frane Radnic to retire after Round 1. The former Olympian is a talent in a middleweight division with plenty of interesting options at domestic level. He could well aim for the British title if Eubank Jr. vacates.
Hitting the Buffers
Is Michael Buffer really worth the fee he charges for appearing at these high-profile Matchroom cards?
The presence of such a renowned emcee is starting to wear thin. We don't really care who does the announcing—just get on with the fights.
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