Anthony Joshua added the WBO title to his IBF and WBA heavyweight championships when he comfortably outpointed New Zealand’s Joseph Parker at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

AJ was taken the distance for the very first time in his 21-fight professional career but came into the unification bout lean, trim and patiently working the jab in a bout that saw viewers in the arena and watching via pay-per-view frustrated by referee Giuseppe Quartarone and his tendency to break the fighters up early.

The victory means just one heavyweight belt remains for Joshua to attempt to claim: the WBC strap held by Deontay Wilder.

IN PICTURES: Anthony Joshua v Joseph Parker

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Wilder was conspicuous by his absence, despite being invited to attend the bout between his champion peers, and there are fears the logical Joshua vs Wilder showdown to crown an undisputed heavyweight kingpin for the first time since Lennox Lewis will not happen at all.

And while Joshua vs Parker wasn’t a brilliant fight, it was another sign that AJ is the real deal.

Though Anthony’s tendency to struggle most in the middle rounds was apparent and some, including Yahoo Sport UK, had Parker winning a few in the thick of the 12-stanza contest, the three ringside judges and a few others had it considerably less competitive than that.

Though Parker had some noticeable lands and puffed out his chest around the halfway mark, many of his best swings found little more than the gloves of the Englishman.

Parker began the fight with his guard down low, hoping to entice Joshua into expending energy as early as possible. To his credit, AJ resisted and picked his own moments but just like his rousing Wembley win over Klitschko, those middle rounds were his lowlight.

It’s one thing to recognise an opponent will be more vulnerable at a certain point of a contest, but it’s another to get more out of that fact than simply winning those rounds and Parker was unable to get close enough to do much more than look good and end Joshua’s KO streak.

Part of that came courtesy of Quartarone, as the assigned official consistently cut up the action far too soon. What little dynamic action the human chess match offered was further diluted by the ref, which infuriated pretty much everybody watching the bout.

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THE FIGHT AS IT HAPPENED:

• Ringwalks are underway! Joshua vs Parker is upon us!

• Both fighters are in the ring. National anthems, formal introductions… then it’s go time.

• Referee gives his final instructions… and it’s seconds out, round one!

• ROUND ONE: Classic tentative opening round here in Cardiff. AJ a little sharper, a little more forward and a shade more accurate with his attempts to edge that one 10-9.

• ROUND TWO: Another cagey round. Not much between the two but again it’s Joshua doing slightly more with a more positive approach. Two for two for AJ but not particularly by much.

• ROUND THREE: Parker spent the early going with a deliberately low guard, looking to lure AJ in and force him to expend. Joshua resisted until the time was right, and that time was in the third as he landed a strong hook and uppercut. The New Zealander took them well but that one was a clear Joshua round. Three out of three.

• ROUND FOUR: Another round of Joshua using his frame and a sensible strategy to force Parker to huff and puff. A solid land by AJ with 30 seconds left punctuates the fourth round in four for the Englishman.

• ROUND FIVE: More aggression and range from Parker this time around leads to his best round yet. He needed a decent one, too. 4-1 in rounds to Joshua.

• ROUND SIX: Things finally spring to life early in the sixth. The two exchange hard in the first 30 seconds before the referee is forced to break them up. It’s Parker who comes out of the exchanges with more confidence and more subsequent lands, pulling back to within two.

• ROUND SEVEN: Joshua gets a telling off for throwing an uppercut after a break. Ugly round, not helped by the referee’s tendency to leap in very early. Parker’s work edges this one too, he’s back to within a round.

• ROUND EIGHT: Plenty of swagger now from Parker but it’s Joshua who outlands him, while the NZ fighter finds mostly arms and gloves. A solid left 30 seconds from the bell is the highlight for AJ, who stops the rot and moves two rounds ahead once more.

• ROUND NINE: AJ continues to command the middle of the ring and the referee continues to frustrate the crowd with his frequent interruptions. Again, Parker is finding little more than gloves and sustains a cut around the eye. Joshua back ahead by three.

• ROUND TEN: Rinse and repeat from Joshua to go four rounds ahead with two to go. Parker did well to escape some early pressure in the tenth but the referee continues to take centre stage, even drawing comparisons to football’s notorious middle man Mike Dean!

• ROUND ELEVEN: Joshua is on his way to his first judges scorecards but surely they will all read in his favour. Parker is defiant, countering strong AJ lands with decent shots of his own but it’s another Joshua round to lead 8-3 with one to go.

• ROUND TWELVE: Parker knows he has to go for it and he does – but AJ contains him well. It’s a Parker round to finish but Joshua’s primary mission at this stage was to not get knocked out. Mission accomplished. Yahoo UK has Joshua winning by four rounds over 12.

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UNDERCARD RESULTS

10 x 3 mins WBA International Lightweight Championship @ 9st 9lbs

JOE CORDINA (Cardiff) v HAKIM BEN ALI (Belgium)

Cordina wins with a clinical performance in front of his hometown fans, dropping Ali twice in round three before a third knockdown resulted in the fight being called off.

10 x 3 mins WBA International Welterweight Championship @ 10st 7lbs

JOSH KELLY (Sunderland) v CARLOS MOLINA (Chicago)

Kelly outjabs the jaded Molina and win 98-92, 98-92, 99-91 and lift his first professional title.

10 x 3 mins Lightweight contest

ANTHONY CROLLA (Manchester) v EDSON RAMIREZ (Mexico)

Former WBA 135lbs champ Crolla shakes off the cobwebs and a cut over the right eye (sustained in the third round) to unanimously outpoint Ramirez. Scores 100-91, 100-90, 98-92. A solid workout after an almost six-month absence.

12 x 3 mins WBA Bantamweight Championship @ 8st 6lbs

RYAN BURNETT (Belfast) v YONFREZ PAREJO (Venezuela)

Burnett puts on a great performance in his first defence and gets the scorecards 120-108, 120-108, 116-112.

12 x 3 mins WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight & WBO International Heavyweight Championship

ALEXANDER POVETKIN (Russia) v DAVID PRICE (Liverpool)

The two big men exchange knockdowns in round three before Povetkin finishes the job in the fifth.