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| Anthony Joshua (right) celebrates with is new title after Dillian Whyte is knocked out |
ANTHONY JOSHUA brutally knocked out Dillian Whyte in the seventh round to win the British heavyweight title.
The London 2012 Olympic gold medallist caught his bitter rival with a huge right uppercut and referee Howard Foster did not even bother with the count as the thrilling contest at the o2 Arena was brought to a stunning halt.
Commonwealth champion Joshua, 26, showed his viciousness yet again to pick up his 15th straight knockout win since turning professional and avenged his amateur defeat by Whyte.
But he also proved he can take a shot after being seriously wobbled in the second by the brave Whyte.
Joshua entered the o2 Arena to rapper Stormzy performing in the ring to the 17,000 sell-out crowd.
The Olympic champion looked the part in all red attire as he awaited Whyte to enter.
Joshua has been hailed as the good guy to clean up heavyweight boxing after Tyson Fury caused a stir with his controversial comments about homosexuality and women in the wake of his stunning win over Wladimir Klitschko to become WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion.
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| Whyte was flattened in the seventh round |
Of course that would be ignoring the fact Joshua was given a community sentence after admitting to possession of cannabis with intent to supply which almost scuppered his Olympic dream in 2012.
That all came after Whyte had beaten him as an amateur in 2009 in an Irish working men’s club in London.
Whyte was in his first ever amateur contest with a gangly looking Joshua in his fifth.
But the o2 Arena was a world away from six years ago and Watford-born Joshua is now a 6ft 6in man mountain.
Joshua took the centre of the ring from the off and looked like he was enjoying viciously landing right hands to his bitter rival who he has been bickering with ever since that amateur bout.
The Olympic champion looked like he might even get Whyte out in the opening round as he charged forward launching huge shots that were finding the target clean.
This was supposed to be the first real test of Joshua’s chin as a professional, but all the first round showed was how good Whyte’s was.
Joshua then landed after the bell which caused mayhem as referee Foster stepped in and Whyte tried to hit him with his own shot.
Suddenly a number of Whyte’s entourage charged the ring and security had to rush in to stop trouble erupting.
But that drama was nothing compared to what happened in the second.
Joshua looked to be controlling it comfortably until Whyte wobbled him with a huge left hook.
The red-hot favourite was in real trouble as his legs looked set to give way.
Whyte - nicknamed ‘The Body Snatcher’ - then went in search of Joshua’s midriff and landed some big left hooks again.
Joshua seemed to be still struggling in the third as Whyte got the better of the brief exchanges.
The Commonwealth champion regained his focus in the fourth as he got back to landing right hands after a few stiff jabs.
But even though he was catching Whyte, the Brixton fighter was not folding like Joshua’s previous 14 opponents.
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| Joshua adds the British heavyweight title to his Commonwealth belt |
Whyte – who served a two-year ban for failing a drugs test in the past – was taking everything Joshua had to throw at him through five rounds.
Joshua was starting to take control again and after out jabbing his man in the sixth, he ended it superbly in the seventh.
A big right hand on the side of the head made Whyte’s legs go like jelly and Joshua pounced.
Whyte held on though and seemed to come through the onslaught until a right uppercut landed on his chin which forced Foster to wave it off.
Medics rushed to the ring and delivered oxygen to Whyte, who looked seriously hurt.
This was a stunning finish from Joshua and he looks set to face former world title challenger Dereck Chisora next.
But there are huge fights down the line against former two-weight world champion David Haye and Fury, if he can beat Klitschko in his rematch next spring.
British heavyweight boxing looks in very good shape and Joshua will be hard to stop.
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| Joshua could soon face world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury |
Joshua was starting to take control again and after out jabbing his man in the sixth, he ended it superbly in the seventh.
A big right hand on the side of the head made Whyte’s legs go like jelly and Joshua pounced.
Whyte held on though and seemed to come through the onslaught until a right uppercut landed on his chin which forced Foster to wave it off.
Medics rushed to the ring and delivered oxygen to Whyte, who looked seriously hurt.
This was a stunning finish from Joshua and he looks set to face former world title challenger Dereck Chisora next.
But there are huge fights down the line against former two-weight world champion David Haye and Fury, if he can beat Klitschko in his rematch next spring.
British heavyweight boxing looks in very good shape and Joshua will be hard to stop.
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| s Eubank Jnr (right) beat Gary O'Sullivan on the undercard |
Chris Eubank Jr moved into the mandatory position for the WBA middleweight title after Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan retired at the end of the seventh.
The Brighton-based boxer thrilled as he delivered heavy punishment for six of the seven rounds.
Eubank Jr, 26, is now in line to face WBA champion Daniel Jacobs after this impressive win.
The entrance of Eubank Jr was something to behold.
With his dad behind him, he stood for an age on the podium as O’Sullivan – who landed a smacker on him at the weigh-in – stood blowing kisses in the ring.
Eubank Sr joined in when he got to the ring by warming the crowd up with some dodgy dance moves.
The action continued after the first bell as Eubank Jr landed with a good left hook and ended the round by goading his man as he paced around the ring.
Eubank Jr – who has lost just one of his 21 bouts - could not miss with the right uppercut in the second and looked like he might stop the Irishman as he continued to land big shots.
But O’Sullivan made sure Eubank Jr was not going to have it all his own way as he landed a stinging right in the third.
Eubank Jr – in yellow like his father used to be – blew blood out of his nose as he appeared to have problems breathing following the powerful shot.
O’Sullivan kept charging forward and landed another right as his opponent retreated.
The fourth was a much calmer round than the previous three as Eubank Jr settled down and started to land some good uppercuts again.
Eubank Jr was in total control of the bout and was picking up rounds easily before
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| Kevin Mitchell (left) was stopped by Ismael Barroso |
Kevin Mitchell missed out on a shot at WBA lightweight champion Anthony Crolla after he was stopped by Venezuelan banger Ismael Barroso in the fifth round.
Undefeated Barroso looked dangerous from the first bell and caught the home fighter with a number of decent shots in the third round.
The Londoner was down in the fourth and referee Howard Foster counted it as a knockdown despite it looking like he had tripped over his feet before the right hand landed.
But there was no doubting the knockdown in the fifth as the Venezuelan puncher connected sweetly with a southpaw jab that sent Mitchell to the canvas.
Mitchell got to his feet before Barroso pounced and forced Foster to step in as he hurt the Londoner with a succession of big blows.
London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell suffered a shock defeat by Frenchman Yvan Mendy.
The Hull lightweight was expected to come through the contest to continue his quest to reach world title level.
But he was put down for the first time in his career in the fifth after struggling in the early rounds.
Campbell picked himself up and rallied in the second half of the fight, but was rocked by a big right in the ninth round.
The promising Brit deservedly lost a split decision and will learn a lot from the defeat against a tough opponent.
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| Tony Bellew (left) beat Mateusz Masternak on points |
Liverpool cruiserweight Tony Bellew claimed the European title with a unanimous points win over Mateusz Masternak.
Bellew came through the gruelling contest with scores of 115-113, 115-112 and 115-112 on the judges’ cards.
The former British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion almost had Masternak out in the last, but he survived the round.
Chisora beat journeyman Jakov Gospic when he stopped the Croatian in the third round.
Former world champion Paulie Malignaggi picked up a unanimous points win over Antonio Moscatiello in the opening bout of the night.
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