OPINION: This was never going to be easy for Joseph Parker. Win early and the quality of his opponent would be derided; take too long to put the late replacement to bed and face criticism and the likely response: "Well, Anthony Joshua would have knocked Cojanu out easily."
However, any comparison with last week's contest for the ages between the Brit and Wladimir Klitschko is unfair - styles make fights, and the Manukau mauling was never going to come close to the war of Wembley in front of 90,000 people.
But boxing is rarely straightforward, and the Romanian actually helped deliver a reasonably entertaining bout - I know I'm in the minority. As a boxing watcher of 30 years, I was interested in how Parker would negotiate the giant in front of him, while working the angles and building his stamina.
Knocking down a huge, immovable object with a big mouth is never easy, and from the first round you could tell it was going to be an awkward night for the unbeaten Kiwi.
Round one pretty much set the trend for the full 12. Parker looking to work the jab, while throwing the occasional haymaker, with Cojanu taking the shots, tying him up, complaining to the ref and jibber-jabbering constantly.
He wasn't in Tyson Fury's league for jive talk, but antagonising all the same.
You could certainly see Parker working hard on the inside in the early rounds - he wasn't there to be bullied by the physically bigger man. I enjoyed some of his uppercuts and movement, and Parker knows how to scrap.
When you've got fast hands, a great chin and bags of courage, that's a pretty successful combination.
By the fourth round, Cojanu's holding forced the referee to dock a point, with the Romanian staring incredulously. "Who, me?" One round later, he threw a right hand that missed Parker's sweet-spot by half a glove and glanced off his chin. It was a warning that it only takes one punch.
In the seventh, the Kiwi threw a gorgeous triple-left combo to head and body. He continued to stay on the outside, work the body and head and win the rounds comfortably.
Cojanu was such a lumbering adversary, he wasn't giving Parker any angles to work with. When your opponent refuses to engage or attack with any velocity, it's tough to land that killer blow. By the ninth and 10th rounds, coach Kevin Barry probably knew Cojanu was there for the duration, so he warned Parker not to brawl too much. Never give a sucker an even break - and he was right.
It was an inevitable landslide points victory and the online barrage has already begun. Both NZ and UK TV 'experts' were critical of the entertainment value (fair enough), with Parker failing to enhance his reputation - and of course there are areas to improve on, there always will be.
Expert summariser Mike Angove was spot-on when he said Parker needed a surprise element, looking to catch Cojanu as he coasted and ambled towards him. And there's certainly a case for a more educated, street-smart arsenal, that also failed to knock down Carlos Takam or Andy Ruiz Jr.
But I'm not in that camp. I actually saw plenty from Parker to make me believe he can hang on to his title for a while longer. He's getting stronger, fitter and more experienced.
At times, his combination punching is exceptionally good and his hand-speed is undeniable. Most impressive was his physical strength, the inside work against a giant, and his chin.
Admittedly Cojanu's attacks were rare, but when Parker did get hit, it just made him angry - and he wanted to engage, against Barry's orders.
What is now clear is that Parker has to step up another level. There can be no excuses for another lowly ranked contender - the Hughie Fury debacle wasn't Duco's fault, but let's raise the bar in terms of opponent.
Names such as Dillian Whyte and Tony Bellew are being thrown around. They're not in Joshua's league, but solid punchers that would certainly take the fight for the WBO prize and command a big TV audience.
The majority probably think this fight was a step back for Parker. Well, I don't agree. He's still a wonderful prospect, hard as nails and now ready for tougher tests.
For me, he beats Whyte and it's 50-50 with Bellew. If he could defeat either of them, then who knows? But, for now, let's just celebrate another victory in what could be Parker's last-ever fight in NZ.
Alex Bell is a former sports producer for the AM Show.
