Anthony Joshua retained his IBF Heavyweight world title belt with a seventh-round stoppage of Dominic Breazeale tonight.

The 26-year-old Watford fighter saw off the American to continue his perfect record of 17 knockouts from 17, in a dominating performance at The O2 in London.

Breazeale managed to make far more of a show of things than Charles Martin when Joshua first claimed the IBF title in April, but was powerless to resist against the increasingly impressive fighter.

After a cagey opening minute, the pair exchanged blows before Joshua began to take control before the end of the first round.

He landed a number of big punches on Breazeale in the second as his dominance took hold and the American found himself staggering to the ropes before escaping.

Breazeale was up against the ropes again in the third as his resistance wilted, and despite a spirited effort, landing a couple of punches after recovering, was still well off the pace.

The physical battering the American was taking was evident between rounds, but he rallied in the fourth to take the fight at least three further than his compatriot two months ago.

He kept it alive in the fifth before Joshua tried to move in for the kill in the sixth, landing a succession of big punches; but still, he hung on.

But midway through the seventh, he could stand no more and was floored by Joshua, who claimed another knock-out victory and retained his belt.

Joshua had demanded a ‘Battle of Britain’ fight against Tyson Fury in the build-up, with Fury at the time set to fight Wladimir Klitschko next month.

But that fight may have to wait after Fury pulled out of his rematch with the Russian to reclaim the WBO, WBA and Ring Magazine belts he won when they last met in November.