Joshua in a class of his own
It is not so much what might have been but feelings of frustration for Joseph Parker would have undoubtedly bubbled to the surface after watching Anthony Joshua sweep past another heavyweight contender.
Joshua defended his IBF, WBA and WBO titles with a crushing seventh round knockout of Alexander Povetkin in London yesterday, extending his perfect record to 22-0.
Returning to Wembley for the first time since his memorable victory over Wladimir Klitschko last year, Joshua delivered an emphatic finish to become the first man to KO the 39-year-old Russian in 36 fights. But it was not a flawless performance.
The 28-year-old Briton showed weakness fighting at close quarters early in the contest as the challenger pressured the champion with explosive exchanges on the inside.
And for a moment, albeit extremely brief, one wondered if we were about to witness a monumental upset when Povetkin staggered Joshua with an uppercut and short left-hook at the end of the first round, the effects of which lingered throughout the second.
Needing to overcome sizeable disadvantages in height and reach, Povetkin knew his only chance of winning was to turn the fight into a brawl, a gameplan he implemented successfully for about half the contest.
New Zealander Joseph Parker went into his bout against Joshua in March hoping to employ similar tactics.
However, the former WBO champion was barely given a chance by over-zealous referee Giuseppe Quartarone, who jumped at any sign of a clinch.
The standard of the officiating that night was panned the world over but that is not to suggest that Parker was robbed of victory – far from it.
In the end Parker did not apply enough pressure on Joshua and Povetkin was far more assertive than he ever was.
But perhaps the 26-year-old – 13 years younger than the Russian and with much fresher legs – would have been able to maintain the rage longer with a more lenient official and push ‘AJ’ into deeper waters.
Povetkin is as durable as they come and the fact that Parker remains the only man to go the distance with Joshua should not be overlooked.
But he can only hold on to that for so long. At this point in time, their careers are headed in different directions.
Joshua is a class above and continues to go from strength to strength.
After surviving the early barrage from Povetkin he responded like all the great champions do, changing his tactics by switching focus from the head to the body.
Once Povetkin slowed down, Joshua displayed the ruthless streak he has built his career on, flooring his opponent with a vicious right hand that would have been felt all the way in Moscow.
Turning 29 next month, Joshua is in his prime and it would be a travesty if he and Wilder, undefeated in 40 fights, cannot come to an agreement in the near future.
Only then will we truly know who just who is the best heavyweight on the planet.
But while he still has a few kinks to iron out, with each performance it is becoming increasingly difficult to deny Joshua of that status.