Wladimir Klitschko produced a commanding display on Saturday night, dominating Ruslan Chagaev in Gelsenkirchen.
The former WBA champion was pulled out of the IBF/WBO/Ring Magazine title contest by his corner at the end of the ninth round.
Unlike the last three opponents Klitschko has faced, Chagaev certainly showed ambition, but despite a tight defence and occasional success with left hands, he was rarely in the fight.
Klitschko's jab won him the second round but taking his fight to the Ring Magazine champion in the second, Chagaev had some success and may have been on his way to taking the round until he was caught by a straight right that produced the only knockdown from the contest.
After the most one-sided round of the night, the ninth, with a nasty cut over his right eye worsening, Chagaev's corner pulled him out of the contest.
The only possible negative aspect of Klitschko's display was his tendency to panic a little when rushed inside. That said, he was never hurt by Chagaev and survived well a cheap shot left hook after a break was called in the seventh.
The Ukrainian champion has been criticised in the past for negative tactics and not taking risks but although there was little variety in his work, he did throw his right hand a lot more than in recent fights and it was to Chagaev's credit that he took so many shots without submitting, especially in the eighth and ninth rounds.
Klitschko is next likely to face another dangerous opponent in IBF mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin but on this performance, winning nine consecutive rounds against a top three heavyweight in the world, he will be heavily favoured to still be world champion in 2010.