Joe Joyce: British heavyweight scores points win over Bryant Jennings in London

Joe Joyce (left) now has 10 wins from as many professional outings

British heavyweight Joe Joyce was taken the distance for the first time as a professional but remained unbeaten with a points win over Bryant Jennings.

Joyce, the Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist, took a big body shot in round one but consistently out-worked the American at London's O2 Arena.

Neither man ever looked in trouble in a fight which never fully ignited.

And Joyce - who at 33 is keen to move close to a world-title shot - scored a unanimous 118-109 117-110 115-112 win.

"It was very hard, he caught me with a very good body shot early on," Joyce told BT Sport. "I wasn't ready for it, I was too busy looking at the crowd. He really tested me and worked out what I was doing.

"I used my experience and toughness to pull through, that's what these fights are good for, to teach you a lesson."

It was the 10th win of his career and Jennings is a noteworthy scalp given the 34-year-old had only lost three times in 27 previous fights - each against elite opponents in Oscar Rivas, Luis Ortiz and Wladimir Klitschko.

Joyce composed himself after Jennings' solid first round and, after a smart left to the body of his own in the third, chose to showboat.

Upon returning to his corner, trainer Adam Booth told him to "save the emotional energy", adding "you'll want that four or five rounds on".

Joyce repeatedly landed thudding, if not destructive shots, but his volume was obvious. When Jennings rallied in the seventh, Joyce told Booth not to shout as much instruction, believing Jennings was hearing the guidance and making adjustments.

A fine right hand from Jennings in the 10th caught the eye but he was soon deducted a point for a low blow, not that it had any major impact on the one-sided scorecards.