Anthony Joshua delivered a devastating finish in the second round to knock out Francis Ngannou, extinguishing any hopes of a sensational upset and continuing his march towards a third world championship title, this Friday.
Joshua sent a stunned Ngannou to the canvas with a powerful right hand early in the first round before dropping the former UFC heavyweight champion twice in the following round, with the second knockdown leaving Ngannou sprawled on the canvas for the final count.
This proved to be Joshua’s most destructive KO of his career, following significant stops against Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin, reigniting his quest for another shot at the world title.
The potential prize was at the forefront throughout the buildup in Saudi Arabia, with victory now expected to pave the way for a bout against the winner of the clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight world championship. “When I saw the fight with Fury, I thought, darn, this guy knows how to fight, I wanted to be a part of that,” Joshua said after the fight.
“It’s inspiring, he’s a great champion, and that shouldn’t diminish his abilities. He can come back. I told him not to leave boxing. He’s only two fights in, and he’s faced the best.
“He can go far if he stays determined.”
Throughout the week, Joshua maintained an extremely focused attitude, despite all the pomp and promises, and he carried that approach as he delivered a clinic in KO to give Ngannou a ruthless exposure to the real world of heavyweight boxing. Ngannou had arrived buoyed by the momentum of a stunning performance in his debut against Fury in October, his surprising knockdown in the third round in his loss to the WBC champion earning him another lucrative day in the ring. As 4 a.m. approached in Saudi Arabia, Joshua was in no mood for further drama.
The former unified world champion showcased his superior speed from the opening exchanges as he left Ngannou on his back with a powerful right hand to set the tone, asserting his authority behind feints that the MMA convert couldn’t respond to.
Joshua then punished Ngannou’s southpaw stance in the second round with a powerful right hand to drop his opponent again, before sealing the deal seconds later with another resounding right hand to leave his opponent KO’d and needing attention in the ring.
The victory improves Joshua’s record to 28-3 in his career while offering another statement of intent in front of Fury ringside, following the Gypsy King’s laborious victory by split decision against Ngannou late last year.
Joshua wasted no time in turning his attention to the winner of Fury and Usyk, who will clash on May 18, while also paying tribute to the impact of his relationship with trainer Ben Davison, whose arrival coincides with a resurgence of the ruthless KO instincts that fueled the Olympian’s early success. If Fury had taken Ngannou lightly, there was no risk of Joshua doing the same, thus earning the respect the 37-year-old boxer had garnered from the boxing world in his maiden outing.
This proved to be the perfect message on another decisive night for Joshua, who opened the door to more exciting opportunities two years after many doubted him following consecutive losses to Usyk. It was Joshua in all his dangerous splendor, with relentless fists and the unwavering confidence of a man who still believes he can return to the top of his sport. In that mindset, few would argue against him.
Leave a Reply