Joshua vs Breazeale: Kell Brook looks back on his first world title defence
Friday 24 June 2016 17:36, UK
Anthony Joshua makes the first defence of his world title on Saturday against Dominic Breazeale, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
The IBF world heavyweight champion is the strong favourite to prevail, but putting your new prize on the line often brings more into the ring than just the quality of the challenger.
So with British boxing bubbling and awash with world titles, we've asked some of our current world champions what their first title defence was like.
Today, the IBF world welterweight champion Kell Brook...
Story of the fight: Brook won the title by beating Shawn Porter out in California in August 2014, but almost lost more than that, due to an horrific stabbing incident weeks later.
It means the 'Special One' was out of action for seven months meaning the mandatory challenger had to be dealt with on his return. Jo Jo Dan was in line and it was no real surprise that Brook blasted him away in four one-sided rounds.
Brook says: The fact that I had won a world title, it didn't really kick in at first and that first defence was almost like my first fight again.
In fact, I was more nervous for that than I was for my first few professional fights, but it was a bit of a mixture why.
That stabbing and leg injury had me thinking how my leg was going to cope with it but I was also the world champion and there were all sorts of emotions going on.
It's hard to nail down and of course it would've been easier doing it without going through any injury, never mind one like that. But if I try and filter it down, that first defence is a big, big moment and you just want get that first one out of the way.
I am sure it will be still be nervy for AJ. I do think he is a true warrior and I do think he will deal with it in the best way possible, but I think he will definitely know what I mean once that first defence is over. It is somehow harder to defend that title, no matter who you are fighting, whether you've chosen them or not.
Every fighter in the world wants to climb the ladder and become a world champion, but all of a sudden, there is nothing or no one above you. I remember thinking 'where do I go next?', but defending it changed all that.
The one thing you do know is that you've got to work twice as hard because you've got these young, hungry fighters and they are coming through and they want what you've got.
That is never going to go away but you get used to it and even before he won that world title, I loved the way AJ came across. He just said it's me and that other guy in there, forget about being a world champion and don't let it get to you.
That is the big thing because some people can't deal with being a world champion and then they get exposed at that level.
I have always been one of those kids who wants to improve all the time and that didn't happen against Dan because I'd been out for so long and I just needed to fight.
I remember being the one that had it all to lose. I am sure AJ knows that in the back of his mind what's on the line, but I do like the way he deals with things and going into this fight, he is going in as a challenger.
Watch Anthony Joshua vs Dominic Breazeale live on Sky Sports Box Office from The O2, June 25. Book the event via your Sky remote or online here.
