Anthony Joshua fought through a virus in the lead-up to last night’s 7th-round stoppage win over a game Dominic Breazeale, his promoter Eddie Hearn tells Sky Sports. Hearn says there was even a possibility the fight could have been called off. But Joshua won as we know, he retained his IBF heavyweight belt for the first time and he now looks ahead to his next fight. Hearn said Joshua will “take a long rest” first, but that he could return in November; with mandatory challenger Joseph Parker being a strong possibility.
Anthony Joshua
Anthony Joshua boxing news and latest headlines
Joshua Stops Breazeale; Groves & Eubank Jr Win – Results
Making his first defense of his IBF heavyweight title, Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs) gave American Dominic Breazeale (17-1, 15 KOs) a bad beating in defeating him by a 7th round knockout on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, UK. Joshua put the game but limited Breazeale down two times in the 7th. The fight was stopped at 1:01 with Breazeale on the canvas unable to get up. He was too hurt.
Breazeale had talked ahead of time of giving Joshua a tough fight, but the only thing Breazeale was the ability to absorb a horrible beating. I’m not sure that Joshua could have withstood the amount of huge shots that Breazeale took if the fight was the other way around.
Anthony Joshua-Dominic Breazeale weigh-in: Joshua 241, Breazeale 255
Anthony Joshua and Dominic Breazeale have weighed-in ahead of their IBF heavyweight title fight tomorrow night (one of three big heavyweight fights set for the summer that will still actually go ahead as planned: Deontay Wilder-Alexander Povetkin and Tyson Fury-Wladimir Klitschko II both falling apart due to a failed drugs test and a damaged ankle respectively) – and as expected, Joshua looked in tip-top shape.
Lewis rates Tyson Fury as number-one heavyweight
Lennox Lewis: “Can [Anthony] Joshua box? No, because he hasn’t reached that level yet”
Retired heavyweight great Lennox Lewis is not one of those people who agree with claims – recently made by Matchroom’s Barry Hearn – that Anthony Joshua is the best heavyweight in the world today. Speaking with The Mirror, Lewis hinted towards a belief that Joshua might become number-one in the division in the future, but he said that right now Tyson Fury is the best big man on the planet.
Joshua vs Breazeale: Deontay Wilder says “it is a 50/50 fight”
Deontay Wilder says that Anthony Joshua’s IBF World Heavyweight title clash with Dominic Breazeale is a 50-50 fight at The O2 in London on Saturday night (June 25) live on Sky Sports Box Office and on Showtime in the US.
Wilder will be part of the Showtime team covering the fight from New York City and the WBC king will be on the edge of his seat as he cannot split champion or challenger as Joshua prepares to defend the World title he landed in April with a devastating second round KO win over Charles Martin.
Anthony Joshua – Dominic Breazeale final quotes for saturday
Photos by Lawrence Lustig – Undefeated IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua (16-0, 16 KOs) and fellow unbeaten American challenger Dominic Breazeale (17-0, 15 KOs), participated in the final press conference on Thursday at Sky Sports Studios in London, just two days before their showdown this Saturday.
Who are the 5 best Heavyweights in Britain today? David Price breaks it down
British boxing is thriving at present, with the world champion number well into double digits, and the UK has a lot of talent in the glamour division: heavyweight. Tyson Fury is of course THE heavyweight champion, while talented would-be megastar Anthony Joshua holds the IBF belt. Along with this, Great Britain has a number of top contenders at heavyweight. But who are the 5 best British big men on the scene right now?
Joshua-Breazeale conference call quotes
NEW YORK (June 20, 2016) – Undefeated IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua (16-0, 16 KOs) will make the first defense of his title against fellow unbeaten Dominic Breazeale (17-0, 15 KOs) of Upland, Calif., this Saturday, June 25 on SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® from The O2 in London, live on SHOWTIME® on at 5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT.
Just a few hours later in Primetime on CBS (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), Keith “One Time” Thurman will defend his WBA Welterweight World Title against former champ Shawn “Showtime” Porter in a welterweight blockbuster that headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
William Hill Sponsors Joshua vs Breazeale; Breazeale Confident Ahead Of Fight
Dominic Breazeale says that Anthony Joshua MBE has had it easy in his career so far but he’ll take him into deep waters when they clash for Joshua’s IBF World Heavyweight title at The O2 in London on Saturday June 25, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Breazeale returns to London four years after he was Team USA’s Super-Heavyweight representative at the London 2012 Olympics. Joshua would go onto win gold that summer and become a British sporting hero in the process, and the Londoner has built on that momentum to move to 16-0 with 16 KO wins, the latest in April landing him the IBF crown he defends on Saturday.
Hearn: I think I’ve got the best heavyweight on the planet for the next ten years
The above statement, on IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, was not made by Eddie Hearn, but by his father, Barry Hearn. Still, regardless of who made the bold statement, it is just that – bold. Many people (myself included) see Joshua, 16-0(16) as a talented fighter with plenty of potential, but nothing more at this stage in his career. Look at Joshua’s record of opposition and you will see two, maybe three decent names. Until he beats an elite heavyweight – a Tyson Fury, a Wladimir Klitschko or a Deontay Wilder for example – the jury will still be out on how good, or great, as Hearn claims, Joshua really is.