So another win by Anthony Joshua takes his record to 17 KOs from 17 fights. He was made to work hard for it, going beyond the third round for only the second time in his career, but the Joshua juggernaut rolls on. That’s all from me, thanks for reading.
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Joshua says he is likely to fight ‘the likes of Joseph Parker’ next, given Tyson Fury’s bout with Wladimir Klitschko has been postponed.
Anthony Joshua speaks: “Thank you for everyone coming out tonight, and for all the fighters who made it a sick undercard.” Sick. “When you start catching them flush you know they can feel the shots but I didn’t want to get caught with a haymaker.”
Michael Buffer: “He is still the undefeated IBF heavyweight champion of the world, AJ Anthony Joshua!”
Anthony Joshua beats Dominic Breazeale!
Round seven: Joshua starts the round with a three-punch combination, the third a straight left which rocks Breazeale’s head right back. Joshua pokes his tongue out, he knows this is it. The crowd roar as Joshua moves in on the ropes and smashes Breazeale to the canvas with a huge right hand. The American is up quickly, but a moment later Joshua lands a flurry of punches and Breazeale is down again, and this time he stays down.
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Round six: Joshua prods and probes with his jab to the body. He switches to target the head but Breazeale takes all the punishment and returns fire. His face is bruised, his eye cut – but he’s inflicted some damage on Joshua with a bloodied nose. This is turning into the toughest challenge of Joshua’s career. As the bell goes they exchange a few snarky words and trudge away.
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Round five: Much better from Breazeale. He connects with a right and Joshua knows it, smirking and spinning his glove as if to say ‘try that again’. The crowd is getting anxious in the O2. These two huge fighters lock together in the centre of the ring and Joshua cracks a hard right uppercut. The former Olympic champion is dominating the fight, without doubt, but he doesn’t seem to have an idea of how to come up with the knockout.
Round four: Joshua doesn’t do fourth rounds – he has only been here once before in his professional career. He lands two, three, four clean punches but Breazeale takes them all. Blood is seeping for the cut above the American’s eye but he is undeterred and unleashes a dangerous uppercut. Breazeale is proving much harder to hurt than most predicted, but he is going to need to land one enormous punch if he is to pull of a shock tonight.He takes one more clobbering just before the end of the round, and stalks back to his corner with a glare aimed at his opponent. It’s not going to plan – Joshua had planned to be sipping a beer backstage by now.
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Round three: Breazeale is battling gamely but his left eye is cut and closing up. They stand toe to toe and swing, Joshua taking his first serious blow but countering with a rapid combination. He pins Breazeale to the ropes and lets fly. The Californian lumbers away and takes another hit, this time a right hook to the temple, before the bell goes.
Round two: Joshua springs off his stool and he isn’t hanging around anymore. He connects with a hammer right but Breazeale absorbs it. A voice from the American’s corner screams: “Hit him back!” Breazeale attempts just that but Joshua moves his head too quickly, and suddenly a vicious shot to the body takes the challenger’s legs away. Breazeale wobbles to the ropes but survives to the bell.
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Round one: Joshua, in white trunks and glistening white gloves, lands the first punch with a right hand over the top. What’s immediately obviously is that Dominic Breazeale is a huge man, and equally that he is not an agile man. His gloves are fairly low and his feet are certainly not moving in tune with Joshua’s rapid fists. Nonetheless it’s fairly tentative stuff from the Briton, a late flurry rousing the crowd before the bell. Breazeale gives him a stare as he trundles back to the corner.
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‘AJ’ Anthony Joshua ditches the gown and the crowd goes wild. Michael Buffer: “Someone’s 0 has got to go!” They touch gloves. Here we go...
Fight time. The O2 Arena has been made to wait a long time for this tonight, and they seem pretty raucous. Dominic ‘Trouble’ Breazeale gets roundly booed.
AJ arrives. How will he enter? Will it be a sweet set by Stormzy again? No. This time he has a montage of great boxers and tense music on the big screen, with his voice over the top telling the O2 Arena: “I am chasing greatness. I am the world champion, and it’s staying that way.” The lights are still down. Now some lions are roaring. Not actual lions, but the sound of lions. Doesn’t seem relevant. He finally enters wearing an ankle-length silk dressing gown. He looks like he’s just heard a noise in the kitchen and is shuffling downstairs to check it out. I suppose you can wear what you want when you’ve fought 16, won 16, KO’d 16.
Dominic Breazeale enters wearing a stars-and-stripes hooded poncho number. Music? Hotel California, because he is from California. Clever. He looks pretty pumped and leaps into the ring with a spring in his step, which is more than can be said for Joshua’s previous opponent.
Michael Buffer is on the mic.
To get you in the mood, here’s some buildup beef between the two. The setting seems to be the park behind Tonbridge High Street but I could be wrong. Look out for the moment where one of Breazeale’s entourage says “Stevie Wonder. Sign, seal, deliver.” Terrific.
The main event: Joshua v Breazeale. AJ v Trouble. Is it me or is AJ quite a pathetic nickname, especially should he go on to become a unified heavyweight world champion. It’s not a patch on Dr Steelhammer.
Anthony Joshua
Age 26 Height 6ft 6ins Reach 83ins Weigh-in 17st 5lbs Fights 16 Wins 16 KOs 16
Dominic Breazeale
Age 30 Height 6ft 7ins Reach 82ins Weigh-in 18st 3lbs Fights 17 Wins 17 KOs 15
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The O2 Arena observes a moment’s bell-ringing for The Greatest, Muhammad Ali.
Next up is the headline act... Anthony Joshua v Dominic Breazeale
George Groves speaks: “Martin Murray is a class act. Martin Murray fights hard. I have to tip my hat to myself as well, I think I did well.” Can you tip your hat to yourself? Has that ever been done before? Do email in.
Martin Murray: “I got beat by a better man tonight. He was good tonight. He punches well and just when I needed to step it up he had me. Obviously I’m gutted. We had a great training camp. I’m going to have a couple of weeks off. I’m not ready to retire.”
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George Groves beats Martin Murray
“Winner by unanimous decision, Saint George Grooooooves!” George Groves has earned himself a world title shot, but what now for Martin Murray?
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Final round: ‘You don’t need a knockout,’ Groves is told in the corner. He is ahead on the scorecards, surely, and just needs to get to the final bell. Murray knows his chances of another world title fight are fading and he goes after the big hit, trying to connect with a huge right, but Groves picks it and replies with a rapid counter which almost finishes Murray. The bell goes. After a slow start this has been a brutal battle with both fighters giving it everything, but surely Groves did enough.
Round eleven: Murray crashes a body shot and Groves grimaces. Has he done some damage? Clearly he thinks so, and an exhausted Murray chases Groves round the ring looking to land the telling blow, but Groves dodges neatly and this one is going to a final round.
Round ten: Murray has found some energy from somewhere and his performance is totally transformed. He slams Groves into the ropes with shot after shot, connecting with a big right hand to side of Groves’ head. A stunning turnaround. As the round goes on Murray tires and Groves responds with a couple of big hooks. The bell goes. Murray must know he is behind on the scorecards, and he is going for the knockout.
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Round nine: Martin Murray recovers and comes out bravely fighting in the ninth. The 33-year-old has struggled to match his younger, bigger opponent but he is giving it everything as ever. He summons the energy from somewhere to attack the body and Groves seems to almost be taking a breather, barely retaliating. At the bell Murray slips awkwardly, but that round was surely his.
Round eight: The fight has been transformed by that punch at the end of the seventh. Murray seems to have nothing left, absorbing blow after the blow and it seems only a matter of time before Groves puts this to bed. Remarkably Murray holds on, and rallies with a flurry of his own before the bell.
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Round seven: Better from Murray, who goes on the front foot looking to hunt Groves down. The Londoner defends well on the ropes though, rolling left and right to avoid most of the blows. This is gruelling boxing now, both fighters starting to look tired, and as the end of the round nears Groves suddenly lands a huge right uppercut! Murray wobbles and Groves chases him to the ropes but at that moment the bell rings. Is there a phrase for that?
Round six: A feisty start to the round. Groves gets Murray in the corner a starts flailing, and Murray responds with a bit of a clonk on the back of the head. The referee pauses the fight for a few stern words. It’s back on and they stand and trade blows, Groves landing a left jab and Murray replying with a quick combination. The fight is bubbling up nicely but you feel Murray must do more if he is to have a chance of catching up on the scorecard.
Round five: Murray tries to carry his momentum into the fifth but Groves has regained his composure. He comes forward and takes control of the centre of the ring, using his jab to decent effect – though Murray’s high guard is absorbing much of the damage. Even so, Groves is the more aggressive fighter and a couple of late counter punches surely give him the edge on the scorecard.
Round four: Murray starts to come out of his shell. He pins Groves in the corner and lets fly at the body, and for the first time in the fight the crowd are on their feet. Groves has a cut to the right eye after that attack and he looks uncomfortable. Murray has been much more positive in this round, and he finishes it landing a solid right hand with Groves on the ropes. He gets a telling off for holding, but on the inside Murray is proving far more effective than his opponent.
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Round three: A little better from Murray who gets on the inside and lands a couple of close-range punches, but Groves continues to quietly control the fight in the main. This has been very underwhelming so far.
Round two: Murray is making a very cautious start. He keeps his guard high and shuffles around the outside of the ring, occasionally firing a low left to the body and then quickly snapping back out. Groves is gamely trying to land his shots but Murray has clearly set out his stall to stay well out of range. A very defensive start from the St Helens man and Groves has probably edged things thus far.
Round one: Groves takes up residence in the middle of the ring and uses his long jab to control the initial skirmishes. That’s about it. Hmm.
They touch gloves with an intense stare-off and this one is about to get under way. George Groves’ WBA international super-middleweight title is on the line, but in truth both fighters’ careers at the highest level are at stake.
Next up... George Groves v Martin Murray
The final fight before the headline act might just steal the show. Two of British boxing’s nearly men come together in a bout which will all-but end the loser’s hopes of getting to the pinnacle of the sport. Groves of course lost back-to-back world title fights against Carl Froch and his defeat to Sweden’s Badou Jack sent him back another step, but he has a chance to put himself back on boxing’s map. Martin Murray has come oh so close so many times to becoming a world champion, with a draw against Felix Sturm, a narrow and controversial defeat to Sergio Martínez in Buenos Aires, and an 11th-round defeat to Gennady Golovkin last year. This is a brawl in the last-chance saloon, and it should make for good viewing.
Tom Doran battled bravely but he was a little out of his depth. Eubank makes it five wins since his only defeat to Billy Joe Saunders in 2014, and defends the British middleweight title he won from Nick Blackwell. Surely next a much bigger fight is on the cards. Eubank Jr speaks: “For me it’s all about statements. I feel like I can be world champion. Gennady Golovkin, I’m coming for you. Listen I’m a fighter, any fighter worth his salt wants to beat the best and become the best. This was just another day at the office. I want the big names.”
Eubank’s promoter Eddie Hearn: “I believe that Chris Eubank Jr against Gennady Golovkin could be made this week.”
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Chris Eubank Jr beats Tom Doran
Round four: A couple of early shots to the body send Doran to the floor, and when Eubank connects with a right and Doran sinks to his knees once more, the referee ends the fight.
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Round three: Eubank unleashes, attacking the body with power before targeting the head with rapid combinations. He pins Doran to the ropes and when the Welsh fighter finally gets back into the middle of the ring, a big uppercut sends him to the canvas. Doran takes a moment to compose himself before jumping to his feet while Eubank turns his back and eyes the crowd with a mad stare. Credit to Doran who took some serious punishment in that round and makes it to the bell. This might not last much longer.
Round two: Gloves low and swaggering, Eubank looks a bit miffed that his opponent has the audacity to show up and throw punches. He lands a few hard shots but nothing that Doran can’t suck up.
Round one: After a bit of dilly-dallying Eubank connects with a powerful right uppercut. Doran keeps his feet and responds with a flurry of his own, momentarily sending Eubank tumbling off balance against the ropes. Doran clearly isn’t fazed by his opponent or the environment. Eubank settles towards the end of the round and lands a couple more shots before bell.
Eubank Jr stares into Doran’s eyes as they touch gloves, and we’re under way.
Eubank enters the ring to Still D.R.E. Hat tipped.
Next Chris Eubank Jr faces Tom Doran, the unbeaten middleweight from north Wales. It’s expected to be a step too far for Doran but the 28-year-old has been handed an opportunity and he’s going for it. This is Eubank Jr’s first fight since the bout which ended Nick Blackwell’s career.
Still to come...
Chris Eubank Jr v Tom Doran (British middleweight title)
George Groves v Martin Murray (WBA international super-middleweight title)
Anthony Joshua v Dominic Breazeale (IBF world heavyweight title)
Felix Cash beats Yailton Neves
In his first professional bout, the middleweight Felix Cash has come through as a nervy winner at the O2 Arena on points. The 23-year-old missed out on Britain’s Olympic boxing team for Rio so turned pro instead, saying: “Cream always rises to the top.” I don’t know about that, but he has beaten fellow pro debutant Neves.
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Conor Benn speaks: “I’ve shown I can fight, now I need to start learning how to box. By the end of the year let’s see what machine I can turn out to be.”
On criticism from Chris Eubank: “The only criticism I listen to is from my trainer.”
Conor Benn beats Lukas Radic
That didn’t last long. Conor Benn put Radic down twice in the opening minute, the second of which was a very heavy right hook which ended the fight. After some attention from medical staff Radic is up and OK, to the relief of everyone, not least Benn who comes over and embraces his opponent.
Next up is 19-year-old Conor Benn, son of Nigel. The super-lightweight has an exciting all-guns-blazing style which is fun to watch but has received some criticism in his two wins so far. He’s up against the 24-year-old Czech fighter Lukas Radic. Both Nigel and Conor Benn have also received some jibes this week from the former’s old rival Chris Eubank. Here is a lovely piece by Kevin Mitchell recalling their rivalry:
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Dillian Whyte is asked who he would like to fight next: “I don’t care, man. I wanted to smash Dave Allen’s head in but it ain’t happening now.” Charming.
Dillian Whyte beats Ivica Bacurin
On a packed undercard, Dillian Whyte – who took Anthony Joshua to the seventh round at the O2 Arena last year, further than anyone before or since – has just earned a technical knockout over Ivica Bacurin. It was a pretty messy win in a brutal encounter, with arms flailing all over the shop and several warnings from the referee, but the Londoner managed to stop the Croatian heavyweight in the sixth round.
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Preamble
Anthony Joshua’s journey towards world domination trundles on. Next stop: Dominic ‘Trouble’ Breazeale, the 6ft 7in unbeaten American who will take some felling. Even so, a performance close to that which relieved Charles Martin of his IBF heavyweight title in April should be enough tonight to take Joshua’s record on to 17 knockout wins from 17 fights.
The heavyweight division continues to bubble away tantalisingly as Eddie Hearne and the rest of Joshua’s team plot their path to the top. They have been gently inflating their protege’s confidence with every underwhelming fighter left splayed on the canvas. This steady approach has frustrated some but rushing his big moment risks leaving a blemish on that glistening record (and damaging a healthy cash cow).
Now though, the end of Joshua’s beginning is near. Wladimir Klischko, Deontay Wilder and – most enticingly – Tyson Fury await after Breazeale. Joshua cannot afford any mistakes tonight in his ambition to topple them all.
For Breazeale, this fight offers a rare platform to achieve something few believe he can. Taking the champion to the latter rounds would be hugely creditable, something no one has yet done to Joshua, and little expectation brings little pressure. Breazeale is considered a gentle giant and trash talk is not his speciality but he said this week he has Joshua ‘rattled’. The Californian has the ammunition to cause some damage – the problem is that any moments to inflict it will be scarce.
First bell: around 10pm BST
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