The 'best of British' deliversLess than three years ago, Joshua fought here low down the Froch-Groves undercard, but 13 fights later he stood centre stage, seeking a win promoter Eddie Hearn said would make him "the biggest star in British sport".
Hearn, a bevy of global sponsors and a sizeable entourage have backed and built the Joshua brand - investment which looks stunningly astute on a night when his reputation was further enhanced.
Through his litany of knockout wins there have been question marks. Could he withstand punishment? Did he have the skills to match a world-level fighter?
He answered emphatically, complementing solid technique early on with resistance when troubled and brutal power down the stretch.
This bout was televised by two networks in the US, only the third time in history such a deal has been struck, and the Las Vegas fight nights enjoyed by Lennox Lewis - the last undisputed heavyweight champion - look to be on the cards.
The wild celebrations of those closest to him underlined just what this meant. A man carrying a huge weight of expectation had delivered.
The fire still burns...
Defiance has poured from Klitschko in recent months. The Ukrainian has compared himself to Everest, talked of an "obsession" in bouncing back from defeat by Fury, and preached about his peaceful state of mind as challenger, not champion.
Such a steely demeanour hinted retirement in the short term was out of the question, and he is understood to still have three fights left on a contract with German broadcaster RTL.
He looked a different fighter to the one beaten by Fury, and markedly better than in his latest points win over Bryant Jennings, but the size of his task was huge.
He was the underdog with bookmakers, with only George Foreman having won a recognised world title past the age of 40.
The trademark jab and power right hand were on show, as was guts aplenty in getting up three times.
And, despite losing the richest bout in British boxing history - with an estimated £30m pot shared by the fighters, it is clear the fire still burns.
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