Is impressive Anthony Joshua on the verge of the “next level” ?

On Saturday night in the world-famous 02 Arena. AJ took another step on the road to, what he continues to tell anyone that will listen, his boxing legacy. With every win AJ calmly tells his adoring fans it’s just another step, he’s still learning, he still has a lot more work to do and a lot more things to achieve before he cements his legacy.

This is a very true statement and with every victory comes more experience, more rounds boxed and more exposure of his skills and devastating punching power. But you have to give credit to the 6foot 7 inch undefeated American Breazeale, who certainly came to fight and under no circumstances was there to lay down and receive a pay cheque.

As limited he looked in attack, you still had a sense that he was dangerous and AJ had to have all his wits about him to stay out of range, while trying to finish the fight. Braezeale took some crushing blows throughout the fight and was rocked several times, especially in the 2nd where he stumbled back into the ropes and began cover up under another barrage of Joshua punches.

But credit where credit is due, as many fighters have crumbled under less pressure and a considerable less amount of blows to the face and body. It got to the stage, as the rounds went by, you was thinking was it only a matter of time or was Breazeale going to frustrate Joshua and go the distance. You were wondering how he was still standing against such punishment.

But these are the kind of fights, along with the Dillion Whyte bout that Joshua desperately needs, if he is to go on and rule the roost at heavyweight. Especially after dispatching Charles Martin so easily to win the title.

Sure, all those one or two round knockouts look great on the record and is superb for the confidence. But there are only so many of them you can have on your record before they start to become a negative, and work against a fighter who is trying to progress and develop.

If you have hopes of cementing a legacy like the kind Joshua keeps telling the public about. He needs the likes of Dillion Whyte and Dominic Braezeale fights at this stage. It’s funny that these are the longest fights of his career, both going seven rounds but both were impressive for very different reasons.

Against Whyte he had to deal with an opponent that he genially did not like who talked an immense amount of trash and had a massive beef with. He admitted Whyte got under his skin and he went into the fight emotionally charged, especially as he lost an amateur bout to him.

Due to this, he also had to get through his first professionally crises when he was rocked by a left hook and had to survive that to come back and defeat Whyte in devastating fashion in the 7th round.

Against Breazeale he was never in that type of trouble and hardly got hit clean let alone stumbled or rocked. But you always had a thought that Braezeale was dangerous and Joshua had to show patience, intelligence and concentration.

Although he was catching Braezeale with some tremendous blows, he was used to seeing fighters fall under much less punishment. Possibly, other fighters may have lost heart, got frustrated, lost concentration and that is where mistakes come in.

He could have got caught with a wild haymaker, from a desperate Breazeale. Or could have been unable to figure out such a fighter, got disheartened at not being able to finish the fight and resigned to the situation, just plod his way to an unconvincing points victory.

But that is what progress, legacy and destiny is about.

Joshua never lost heart, kept his concentration, never got frustrated and even began to mix his shots further into the fight.

Joshua kept moving forward and eventually his power and sledgehammer blows was too much for even Breazeale, who crumbled in the 7th round.

Don’t get me wrong, it was an impressive performance and it showed further progress for the IBF heavyweight champion in his first defence. But as decent an opponent Breazeale was, he’s not a top class heavyweight and even though Joshua is still only in his 17th fight. If we are talking history and legacy etc. He must have his sights set on the so-called elite fighters in the division.

For me, although there are many fighters he can and will defend his title against in the future. There are only six names to be considered as a real test. Wladimer Klitschko. Deontay Wilder. David Haye. Luis Ortiz. Joseph Parker and of course Tyson Fury.

Fury and Klitschko have their own issues they need to sort out, especially with the rematch being cancelled. Haye, who has an interesting bout with Shannon Biggs coming up. Needs a few more better opponents to put him in any sort of position following his return to the ring.

For me, heavy-handed Cuban champion Ortiz is the end game bout even though at 37, I doubt he will have a long career at the top. So that would leave Wilder and Joshua’s mandatory challenger the dangerous New Zealand puncher Parker.

I believe Parker is another step up from the competition that Joshua has already had. He’s even more inexperienced than Joshua with lesser names on his record and though it will be a harder bout than his previous 17, I expect Joshua to win.

That would then leave a possible bout with the winner of Fury & Klitschko. This could even open up a possible bout between Haye (if he gets past Briggs) & Wilder (if he gets past Arreola following cancellation of the Povetkin bout) where the winner could face Luis Ortiz …..Then the winner of that bout could face the winner of Joshua/Parker & Fury/Klitschko…..

You follow me? Confused? Dont be, basically what I am trying to say is there are some very exciting possibilities ahead, and not just for Joshua. The heavyweight division is in a new intriguing era. The only hope is these six fighters who are clearly the best in the division, get to fight each other in the coming months and years.

If that is the case we could be embarking on a very interesting few years in the history of the heavyweight division and just maybe, eventually, when it’s all said and done. We could see a unified, undisputed, world heavyweight champion standing alone with all the belts….Well, a guy can dream can’t he?