Anthony Joshua retains his belts and moves to 20-0 with 20 knockouts, even if this was hardly the showcase that many observers expected.
Shame for the ill-timed stoppage that left the champion in a defensive crouch from the first question of his in-ring interview. Joshua was the deserving winner and surely would have won on the cards, but a handful of the questions that dogged the Olympic champion into the Klitschko fight in April will no doubt resurface after tonight.
The good news? Joshua had only boxed 55 rounds professionally entering tonight’s bout. He’s added 10 more to that ledger and they were didactic ones to say the least. “He’s like Holyfield,” Joshua said of his granite-chinned foil, “coming under, popping up.”
This was a difficult puzzle for the young champion and he solved it the hard way, even if the denouement left something to be desired.
