Wednesday 16 September 2015 06:50, UK
Glenn McCrory saw Anthony Joshua race to the Commonwealth heavyweight title on Saturday night and says his appeal is universal...
It was a real occasion on Saturday. It was AJ fighting for a Commonwealth title, only his first title, but already you could tell it was a different crowd. It had crossed over from the average boxing fan and there were people wanting to be seen there.
He's a big handsome boy and there were a lot of women there because he's got that kind of appeal. When the guys go to the fights and the missus asks them who's fighting and they say Anthony Joshua, they'll want tickets too!
When the guys go to the fights and the missus asks them who's fighting and they say Anthony Joshua, they'll want tickets too!
It was a really top-class atmosphere. For someone having his 14th fight, for his first major title, he lived up to it perfectly. Gary Cornish did what he said he was going to do. He went at him and had ambition but that very ambition was his downfall. He didn't have enough.
It was good to see the way Joshua handled a big man. It was a little question mark against him because he'd always fought people smaller than him, but Joshua was fast as lightning. His reactions were superb. He got through with a jab or two and then sussed him out.
You're going to get Joshua being even more exciting like that from now on because as the opponents get better, they'll be trying to win rather than survive and by doing that, they're going to take it to him and that'll double up the power of his punch. Cornish had come for a fight and walked on to one.
The rivalry with Dillian Whyte is set to be very good. Dillian is a nice kid. He had full respect. I said to him that Joshua was good and he agreed, said he had full respect and did what he thought he'd do.
Dillian has got plenty of respect for AJ. Yes he wants to fight him and yes he thinks he's going to win but he's definitely got respect for him. Don't you worry - he's seen plenty of him and knows exactly what he's up against. He believes he can win and he has to believe that. He's beaten him before.
Whyte must think he's got something to beat him. You saw Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman after Foreman had beaten Joe Frazier. All of a sudden you'll find someone who can take a dig and might give somebody problems. We're yet to see that with AJ.
Whyte didn't really impress himself but on paper, that was a good result. It was interesting to see that Brian Minto didn't want any of Dillian Whyte. He got badly hurt by a couple of shots and then he was shaking his head at the corner as if to say: 'get me out of here!'
Dillian showed that he's got some really good power. Whether he can detonate that power when he comes up against Joshua is of course another thing, because his jab is going to have to be a lot better.
It was a big night for Dillian. He'd never been involved in anything like that. All the lights, all the cameras and all the eyes were on him too, so the pressure was on him as well as Joshua. He came through the test well enough.
We're really looking forward to Joshua v Whyte. It was great to see AJ pick up his first title and I know I've said it before but I'm so glad he's doing it this way - Commonwealth, British and then he'll probably go for the European. It gives him extra fights.
He's probably ready to get in there with someone who's in the top 10 but this way, it gives him a few more against British and European opponents. He's still young, 25, looking superb and high on confidence so he should gain that little bit of experience so that when he wins the world title, he stays world champion.
It's all on course and the journey is well and truly underway.
