Dominic Breazeale heads to U.K. to see if England’s champ Anthony Joshua is the real deal

Dominic Breazeale hit the canvas in his most recent fight. He rose, began unloading heavy punches and remained undefeated by breaking his veteran opponent’s jaw.

Now comes a stiffer test.

On Saturday, Upland’s Breazeale (17-0, 15 knockouts) will fight new International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (16-0, 16 KOs) in the 2012 Olympic gold medalist’s home country, at London’s O2 Arena.

Showtime will televise the bout live at 2:15 p.m. Pacific time.

Breazeale, after losing earlier in the London Summer Games, has watched Joshua compete in the Olympics and says he isn’t overly impressed with the power puncher, who on April 9 knocked out Southern California’s Charles Martin in the second round of Martin’s first title defense.

“[Joshua] has had the steppingstones of fighting the Olympics in his backyard, having the judges in his backyard,” Breazeale said. “I was watching third row,” and believed Joshua lost.

“Then, he had a guy in Charles Martin, who really didn’t show up on fight night. … Martin’s performance was terrible.

“You think of a heavyweight champion, and you think he’s fought the best. That’s why he’s chosen me as his opponent, but I think he plans on getting out of that situation if he can make it through the 12 rounds.”

While Joshua’s title victory has captured even greater attention by the British boxing audience, which already boasted a world heavyweight champion in Tyson Fury, Breazeale says he’ll “put on some extreme pressure, take Anthony Joshua to a new level of boxing and we’ll find out,” how special he is.

Deontay Wilder, the World Boxing Council champion from Alabama, will help broadcast the fight remotely in New York with a Showtime crew. Wilder assesses that Joshua-Breazeale is a “50-50 fight.”

“It’s going to be interesting because we’ve seen Breazeale in a lot of wars. He’s almost been taken out by some of the smaller heavyweights. He’s been punched around, but he has always survived.

“We’ve seen Joshua (get) busted up as well, but he has kept his composure, and this fight is in his backyard amongst his people.

“I don’t put anything past Breazeale because he’s coming in hustlers’ territory. It’ll be a good fight because of Breazeale. I think he really wants it.”

Discussing the fight at a small, quiet Ontario gym before he left for the U.K., Breazeale, 30, a former NCAA quarterback at Northern Colorado, said his pressure, pace, chin and power can lift him to victory in a hostile venue.

He said routinely running up Mt. Baldy has peaked his conditioning.

“I’m going into an arena with 20,000 people as the underdog,” Breazeale said. “I’m going to come out fighting. This is the opportunity I’ve been working on for eight years. Confidence level is through the roof.”

Breazeale said he’ll work to make the confident Joshua uncomfortable from the outset.

“He hasn’t got past the fifth round. I want him to go into uncharted territory, but I’m not going to let an opportunity pass, either, if I see I can get him out of there,” Breazeale said.

“My football background will come into play for this fight. When you’re quarterback, down 20 points, all the fans are booing you, there’s nothing else you can teach a man [about fan pressure]. I’m debating not even entering to any ring music, just to put frosting on the cake.”