Britain's Anthony Joshua has lived up to his billing as the new superstar of heavyweight boxing when he stopped Charles Martin in the second round to claim the American's world IBF title.
Joshua became the first boxer in history to hold the Olympic super-heavyweight crown and a version of the world heavyweight title simultaneously with his stunning triumph at the O2 Arena, a few miles from where he won gold at the London 2012 Games.
The 26-year-old handed champion Martin the first defeat of his career to annex the title in his 16th professional fight, knocking him down twice in the second round with powerful right hands.
It was so conclusive that Joshua, who looked as if he had just enjoyed a leisurely sparring session, told the crowd he was going back to his dressing room to work on the pads.
"There's still a lot of work to be done. I've got people like (fellow British heavyweights) David Haye and (WBA and WBO champion) Tyson Fury calling me out, so I need to keep improving," Joshua said.
Joshua reiterated that his ambition was to unify the heavyweight title, which will mean having to dispose of Fury and American Deontay Wilder, the American WBC champion.
On this evidence, he has every chance of doing so, even though Fury, who defeated long-standing champion Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine last year, professed to be unimpressed.
"So AJ gets a belt, looked slow ponderous, & still looked like a bodybuilder, let me slay the lamb," Fury tweeted.
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