Five things we learnt following a brilliant night of boxing at the O2

It was a fantastic night of boxing at the O2 in London, so what did we learn?

The night revealed how Kell Brook is focussed and on fire, that Jorge Linares is a true world champion and also how you should not miss a moment's action on such a brilliant show.
But here are five things that leapt out at us...

British boxing is booming

We are starting to rule the boxing world. May began with the Fight of the Century, we then saw history made and on an unforgettable night we now have SIX world champions. That in itself says it all.
Lee Selby is the latest addition to the current list that began with Scott Quigg less than two years ago, and now includes his bitter rival Carl Frampton, Jamie McDonell, Kell Brook and the first Brit to win an Olympic gold medal and a professional world title, James DeGale. Throw in Andy Lee, the Irish middleweight WBC holder and these two islands are taking the world by storm.

James DeGale: another British world title holder

Anthony Crolla, George Groves and Nathan Cleverly can join the growing list with their next fights challenging the champions, Paul Smith has got an outside chance against Andre Ward and Tony Bellew wants his third world title crack by September. Amir Khan is never far away from a belt and how can we forget Tyson Fury is the WBO mandatory to take on the one and only Wladimir Klitschko?

We take world titles from them but they rarely come and take them from us now. We are gaining more and more respect and the age-old interpretation of a good old British fighter, bolt upright, straight shots is a thing of the past.

Jamie Moore

It is not just the quantity of our world champions, but the quality as well. Brook and DeGale beat Americans in their own backyards, McDonnell made his second defence over there too, while Quigg and Frampton want to settle domestic scores. They know they are among the best in the world but our fighters want to prove they are the best in Britain as well.
Carl Froch has finally stopped flying the flag with a title or two round his waist, the likes of David Haye and Ricky Burns did just as much a few years ago, but now there is a new breed of British fighters taking on the best and bringing those belts home.

The Welsh Mayweather is no myth

Nicknames in boxing can make or break you in terms of popularity, but the one thing Lee Selby did was justify his choice and suggest that he could well be Barry's answer to the one-time Pretty Boy.
Everyone thought he would prise the IBF featherweight title away from Evgeny Gradovich, but plenty of people thought he would do it over 12 rounds, stifle and slow the champion down, yet winning by a wide points margain; something Mayweather does for fun but is horrible for the opponent to handle. By the time it came to an end, one judge had given him all seven rounds and the other two, gave the champion just one.

Le Selby: The Pretty Boy from Barry

But on Saturday night, in easily the biggest test of his career so far, we saw more than waring down. Way more than that. Yes he was constanly on the move, circling the ring and staying clear but whenever Gradovich got close enough, he let off seriously sharp and accurate combinations as well, the right did most of the damage. We didn't see him go on the offence because he really didn't need to, but don't be fooled, like Mayweather, he can go low, straight for the head, or on the move. And there is even more to come, that's for sure.

Lee Selby believes he 'didn't really get out of second gear'.

Selby has already pointed out that the featherweight division - one lighter than Mayweather began his reign - is tough when the word unification was mentioned. Vasyl Lomachenko and Nicholas Walters are established stars, Gary Russell Jr newly-emerged and while they are not quite Manny Pacquiao, Keith Thurman and Kell Brook, there are big fish in a 126lb pond.

Floyd Mayweather: Has Lil Wayne with him

The Welshman's crisp white shorts and their golden tassles had a twinge of the early Mayweather and the ringwalk music would surely have got Money nodding his head. Selby did not need Lil Wayne blaring out alongside him. He is a big hip-hop fan and went out to Big L's Lifestyles of the Poor and Dangerous. Money will come. And maybe, the new Money will come from Wales.

Third time is not always lucky

If there was one thing we wanted to see come true on Saturday night was Kevin Mitchell's dream of winning a world title. The boy from East London is arguably the most popular fighter and to have seen him fail on two previous attempts was bad enough, but this was heart-breaking,

Kevin Mitchell: Third time unlucky at a world title

Even he will admit there were other things going on when he challenged Ricky Burns and Michael Katsidis in 2012 and 2014 respectively, but this time the he was on-point. He needed to be against a three-weight world champion in the shape of Jorge Linares in what most people had called the one 50-50, pick'em fight of the night.
And the dream looked like it would come true in the fifth round of a tactically smart and slick fight. A cracking short, sharp right put the world champion down and it not only shifted the balance but also had Mitchell well ahead on the scorecards.

It was such a shame because we all wanted Mitchell to win that world title and he is still not a world champion.

Jim Watt

The only problem was the round before a nasty clash of heads had split his left eyelid and knowing he had to close the gap, in the ring and on the cards, Linares starter to pick him apart. We could see it slowly and sadly unfolding and when Mitchell finally slumped to the canvas in the 10th, another world title eluded him again.

Jorge Linares: was losing on the cards at one stage

A London crowd that had boomed out I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles all night, were turned to silence and the third world title attempt probably hurt us all the most, but nothing in comparison to what Mitchell had gone through. This third time was not just unlucky, it showed there is no crueller sport than boxing.

It will be hard to get Joshua decent opposition

Who will get in the ring with Anthony Joshua now? Well, we rarely know before the fight is done, but surely it is going to be hard to find someone willing to step up.

Anthony Joshua: hammered Kevin Johnson through the ropes

Kevin Johnson was supposed be the one who was going to shut one set of doors and open up a few more for those looking in. Well thay didn't happen. Not only did Joshua become the first man to stop Kingpin, but he sent out another shockwave across the heayweight division.
It took 4mins 38secs to see him off. He landed 22 shots to Johnson's none and that came from what looked like a cautious approach. When he knocked him down in the first, he caught him again while he was on his backside, just to make sure. And if you saw the grin on his face, there was that evil streak, that finishing instinct, that seperares champions from contenders.

Someone with a bit of speed and a jab has to come next on the back of Kevin Johnson, but I want to see someone who is taller, heavier, just bigger.

Glenn McCrory

He is a beast of a man and the size alone is going to prove tough to match. David Price says he wants a go and does match the physical dimensions but should a man that had been stopped by a smaller, older and weaker Tony Thompson, go in with Joshua? Arguably the two world title holders, Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilde, match up but right now, are in that top echelon that AJ is aiming for.

Domestic dust-ups still do it

There were three titles on the line on Saturday night that brought the best out of boxing, but they weren't world title tilts. Two of them were for British straps, one for a Commonwealth and when you want the night to get off to a good start, the all-British fights, did more than whet they appetite. At times they had you drooling.

Dave Ryan: beats John Wayne Hibbert in a real ding-dong

The first was also a rematch as Dave Ryan defended that Commonwealth light-welterweight belt against Johm Wayne Hibbert, but it was more than that. Plenty will say it was the fight of the night and it should even be among the fight of the year contenders. Ryan held on to the belt after a ding-dong battle that left both bloodied, bruised, battered but above all, showing what all-British affairs can deliver.
Next up someone's 0 had to go, there was a vacant British lightweight title on the line for Scotty Cardle and Craig Evans. It was rough and  tough from start to finish and when Cardle was crowned champion, you could see the delight. This is a guy that shares a gym with a world champion in the shape of Quigg, at least another four fighters who had won British titles and he knew it was the first step on the ladder. Ryan will come again but the first step onto the ladder is always a tough, tough climb.

When Scotty had won that Southern Area title and me, Ant Crolla, Scott Quigg, Stephen and Callum, all spoke to him about that Lonsdale belt and what it means.

Paul Smith on Scott Cardle

Before the world titles took centre stage Nick Blackwell produced a fierce right that floored John Ryder and saw him take the vacant middleweight honours. Both had pushed Billy Joe Saunders all the way and both waned to get up into that mix, but it meant someone was going to get left behind for now, and that is what these homesoil straps can do. You might be early in your career but you want to show Britain you are the best... for now.

Nick Blackwell is the new British middleweight champion

It is to easy to criticise domestic dust-ups because there are always stories, often excitement and usually thrilling entertainment. You might look back at all six fighter's records in years to come and one or two might well move on and up, but there is no doubt British titles will always have it's place. It will never be removed from the pecking order.