Having the weight of the biggest fight in British boxing on your shoulders is no easy burden to carry going into a dangerous fight against a madman Bulgarian named after a warlord.
But Joshua saw off the threat of mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev - and in some style too as he floored his rival four times en route to a ninth round stoppage. So, job done. Now the question for boxing fans around the world is - when will he take on Tyson Fury?
The match-up seems destined to take place in 2021 but there are some t s to cross and i s to dot before it can finally happen. After a dark year for sport, the mouth-watering prospect of these two going at it has lit the touchpaper for the new year.