Joe Joyce battered Bermane Stiverne to secure a sixth round stoppage victory and move closer to a world heavyweight title shot.
The win secures ‘The Juggernaut’ a shot at WBA regular world title holder Manuel Charr and perhaps Anthony Joshua further down the road.
Expectations were high on Joyce entering the fight given Stiverne was eviscerated last time out in his rematch with Deontay Wilder 15 months ago, and seemingly sauntered through his training camp given he tipped the scales 15 pounds heavier than his previous heaviest.
And the fleshy Haitian looped his shots from the off as Joyce marched forward, clubbing a right hand behind a stiff jab.
The beatdown commenced from the first bell and Stiverne appeared drunk in the second when Joyce slipped in an uppercut, followed by a barrage of punches, which would have seen referee Howard Foster stop the contest on another night.
A thudding knockdown opened the third, but Stiverne bravely rose to absorb yet more punishment over the course of the next three rounds.
Joyce put his foot on the accelerator in the sixth though, bludgeoning a now weary Stiverne against the ropes, this time prompting Foster to step in.
The 33-year-old, now 8-0, has moved quickly since turning professional in 2017 following a distinguished amateur career, including a silver medal at the Rio Olympics.
Joshua, Wilder and Tyson Fury remain out of reach for now, but Joyce is on track to fulfil his plan to gatecrash the party by 2020.
