Anthony Joshua's latest annihilation of an opponent has left him contemplating the prospect of fighting Wladimir Klitschko or Deontay Wilder next year.
The 2012 Olympic gold medallist twice floored Scotsman Gary Cornish in a 97-second victory in what was supposed to be his hardest fight yet at the O2 Arena on Saturday.
Cornish, who entered the ring with an unblemished 21-fight record and a slight height advantage, became Joshua's fifth first round victim and the north London-based boxer has yet to be extended beyond three rounds.
Dillian Whyte (16-0, 13 KOs) will be the next one to try and he has beaten Joshua before, as an amateur. Joshua and Whyte, who stopped American veteran Brian Minto in three rounds on the undercard, will meet for the British title back at the O2 Arena on December 12 and if all goes according to plan for Joshua then promoter Eddie Hearn hopes to match him with European champion Erkan Teper (15-0, 10 KOs.
"I can't predict if Dillian will be a longer fight," said Joshua. "My ambition is a bit higher than Dillian Whyte. I'm going to deal with that boy and then I can achieve what I want to do.
"With me, the more time I have in boxing the more relaxed and better I get and the less I get hit the better. If I get smashed up by these guys now then I'm not going to step up a fight the likes of Deontay Wilder.
"Teper is no different from guys I've fought so far. By the time that fight comes up I will be in a good place so it will not be too awkward to fight. Commonwealth, British, European and then world and then you have achieved what you set out to achieve."
Hearn does not see a fight against fellow Briton David Haye featuring in Joshua's immediate plans. Londoner Haye has not boxed for over three years, shortly before Joshua won Olympic gold, but is talking of a comeback.
"I don't think you will see Anthony box every six or seven weeks now," Hearn said. "Every world governing body is looking at AJ and they are all desperate for him to fight their belt. Whenever we want to fight for the title it will happen.
"I would like him to fight Teper for the European title in March and then for the world title in the summer.
"I would love him to do more rounds. We thought Kevin Johnson was the guy but he was lucky to get through the first round. It's perfection what you are seeing.
"It's the simplest path I've seen. Nothing can stop him except beating himself and that's not going to happen because he works too hard. He could be a complete a***hole but he isn't, his feet are firmly on the ground and he lives with his mum.
"David Haye talks about fighting but he wants the right payday to come back. I've had a couple conversations with David. He's a sharp guy and he knows the size of the fight with Anthony. It's one of the toughest fights out there for Anthony but we're looking at him winning world titles so he doesn't need to go through David Haye to get them."
After another brief bout which saw Cornish floored twice, Joshua is not concerned about a lack of rounds.
"You can never predict how a fight will go and I would have liked it to go four rounds and I want to do it in good fashion," Joshua said. "But to do it in one, I'm not complaining."
George Groves endured world title heartbreak for a third time after suffering a split decision loss to Badou Jack, who retained the WBC super-middleweight strap in Las Vegas.
Groves recovered well from a first-round knockdown but faded as Jack dominated the final rounds to win 113-114, 115-112, 116-111 on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather's career swansong.
"I thought I won the fight decisively," Groves said. "I thought I controlled the fight with my jab and that I was in control throughout."
It marked the Briton's third defeat as a professional - and a third failure to secure a world title - following successive knockout losses to compatriot Carl Froch.
Groves, the favourite heading into the bout, was put down in the first round as Jack caught the Brit with a big right hand on the chin before following up with a crushing blow to the temple.
The Londoner returned to his feet immediately and withstood Jack's pressure, before landing several jabs in the second round to turn the tide.
Groves grew in confidence and landed two big rights towards the end of the fourth, before seemingly dominating his opponent in the fifth and sixth.
However, Jack responded with two big blows in the seventh and, despite throwing less punches than Groves, landed his efforts more effectively.
Jack's workrate proved decisive in the eighth and ninth rounds as Groves began to tire, but the Briton hit back with a big jab in the 10th. Jack, who defeated Andre Dirrell to become WBC champion in April, again landed more decisive blows with two sharp efforts towards the bell.
Groves retaliated in the 11th but, for all his efforts, could not land a decisive blow. Jack scored with a great one-two in the final round to all but seal a points victory.
The judges agreed and Jack was announced winner. Groves, distraught with the result, left the ring immediately and must now contemplate rebuilding his career for a third time.
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