Anthony Joshua made it two wins from two at the expense of Paul Butlin - though the heavyweight prospect was at least made to wait until the second round to record another routine victory. Fighting in his second home of Sheffield on the undercard to Kell Brook's fight with Vyacheslav Senchenko, the Olympic gold medallist once again showed not only his punching power but also his ring skills.
The 24-year-old from Watford found his range early on behind a pinpoint jab before landing some heavy blows on the brave but outclassed Butlin. It looked at one stage like it could all end inside the opening round, just as it had done on Joshua's pro debut against Emanuele Leo earlier in October. However Butlin battled through some tough moments to hear the bell and gamely carried on in the second until being knocked down by a brutal one-two combination.
A left hook left him unsteady before a straight right from Joshua arrowed through, not only putting his opponent on the canvas but also opening up a nasty cut above his left eye. Butlin just about beat the count but a further flurry of blows forced the referee to step in and wave off the contest, his decision coming just seconds before the towel came in from the 37-year-old's corner.
"I'm still improving, still cracking on, but it's always good to get a win because now I can get ready for November 14," Joshua told Sky Sports afterwards.
"The guy (Butlin) is a tough guy. I like someone who comes to fight, who is game, and that's what he did.
"Boxing isn't complicated - you've got two arms and you've got to find a way to knock them out."
Promoter Eddie Hearn has yet to reveal who Joshua's next opponent will be when he headlines a show at Bethnal Green on November 14 that will also include the latest episode in the International Prizefighter series.
"He showed so much more composure tonight. Butlin is a seasoned pro who went the distant twice with Dereck Chisora," Hearn stated.
"This is a different class we are talking about right here. People talk about we've got to take him at the right pace, but that's going to be very difficult to do."