Anthony Joshua delivered a stunning second-round knockout victory over Francis Ngannou, reasserting his claim to the heavyweight crown.
Joshua dominated the fight, dropping Ngannou in the first round with a powerful right hand.
Anthony Joshua’s KO of Francis Ngannou in the 2nd. What a performance from AJ tonight and over the past 11 months. pic.twitter.com/YHtWZSViNz
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 9, 2024
As the fight progressed, Joshua remained in control, ultimately knocking out Ngannou with a follow-up right hand.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, expressed his pride in Joshua’s performance and proclaimed him the number one heavyweight in the world.
Joshua himself acknowledged the challenge he faced and praised Ngannou’s abilities. He also expressed his desire to fight the winner of the Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk match.
Joshua’s victory was a result of his skill and experience, with the final blow being landed at 2:38 of the second round.
Ngannou’s hopes of a successful transition from MMA to boxing were shattered by Joshua’s dominant performance.
The moment that @anthonyjoshua DESTROYED Francis Ngannou 🤯#JoshuaNgannou | #KnockoutChaos | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/ONl1rlhSlo
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 9, 2024
The slo mo of the knockouthttps://t.co/mXQzDZL1D5
— Alex Barnicoat (@mrbarnicoat) March 9, 2024
Despite the defeat, Ngannou received praise for his initial confident attacks.
However, he was ultimately unable to withstand Joshua’s powerful right hand. Joshua acknowledged Ngannou’s fighting ability and stated that his defeat did not diminish his capabilities.
Both fighters showed respect and gratitude to their supporters and expressed their determination to continue their careers.
Overall, Joshua’s impressive knockout victory cemented his position as one of the top heavyweight boxers in the world.
Video report: What a destructive performance by @anthonyjoshua
Talk about #KnockoutChaos
Joshua felled @francis_ngannou three times inside two rounds #JoshuaNgannou
Via @Telegraph @TelegraphSport pic.twitter.com/pmnC4iNBZb— Gareth A Davies (@GarethADaviesDT) March 9, 2024
In a thrilling fight in Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua secured a devastating knockout victory over Francis Ngannou, solidifying his impressive run of form.
After losing to Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua has bounced back with four consecutive wins under the guidance of trainer Ben Davison.
Now, Joshua has his sights set on a world title fight, aiming to become a three-time heavyweight champion, a feat achieved only by Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Michael Moorer.
However, the path to a world title shot is not without obstacles. Tyson Fury and Usyk are set to clash for the undisputed championship, with a rematch clause in place.
The IBF has also mandated that the winner must face mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic or risk being stripped of their title.
Additionally, promoter Eddie Hearn has stated that the winner of the Joshua-Ngannou bout will face the winner of Fury-Usyk.
Despite the complex scenario, Joshua’s victory has positioned him for a future showdown with either Fury or Usyk, offering the eagerly anticipated prospect of a ‘Battle of Britain’ or a chance for redemption against Usyk.
Joshua’s explosive finish against Ngannou, which left his opponent briefly motionless on the canvas, further catapults him towards his goal of reclaiming the heavyweight championship.
Joshua acknowledges Fury as a great champion and hopes to face him in the ring, emphasizing that his win over Ngannou does not diminish Fury’s abilities.
He encourages Fury to continue his boxing career, highlighting the challenging opponents Fury has faced.
As the boxing world awaits the highly anticipated Fury-Usyk clash in May, the future matchups and potential title scenarios remain fluid.
However, Joshua’s impressive performance has certainly added an exciting twist to the heavyweight division and sets the stage for thrilling and historic bouts in the coming months.
Promoter Eddie Hearn and his team will guide the future of Joseph Parker, who expressed his commitment to returning to the ring.
Parker, known for his surprising win against Deontay Wilder, triumphed over Zhilei Zhang in a majority decision to claim the ‘interim’ WBO heavyweight title.
Despite being knocked down twice, Parker secured the victory with his relentless work ethic and accurate punches. This victory marks Parker’s fifth consecutive win after a previous loss to Joe Joyce.
Fans reacted as follows:
I'd love to see a Champion boxer fight in the UFC. What Ngannou has done is nothing short of incredible. Fought the 2 best heavyweight boxers on the planet. How can you not respect that man, took some serious bollocks, tough to see him go out like this, Nothing but respect for FN
— Clay (@CassiusClayKO) March 9, 2024
This photo still hurt net pic.twitter.com/jJJr6CB0rB
— Hasnain Shah (@shahhasnain77) March 9, 2024
The ref shouldve stopped it before the final knock down. He didnt look ready to continue at all.
— Dry heat (@Dry_Heat_) March 9, 2024
Anthony Joshua handled business with a beautiful performance.
Francis Ngannou’s journey will always be one of the greatest stories in sports history.
Respect to both guys.
Rematch…in MMA??😂 pic.twitter.com/Zu1tvyXvZC
— AFeldmanMMA (@afeldMMA) March 9, 2024
80% of bets on Ngannou +240 😬
— John Ewing (@johnewing) March 9, 2024
Francis getting knocked out exactly how he knocked out Stipe! But thats the fight game!
— Collin Chan (@CollinChan) March 9, 2024
The Joshua – Ngannou fight in a nutshell. Never seen anyone do this to Francis. Dayammm! #JoshuaNgannou #AnthonyJoshua #FrancisNgannou #KO #Knockout #OurBleepinCity #Boxing #DAZN @anthonyjoshua @OurBleepinCity1 pic.twitter.com/wqbAEMKo94
— Mike (@mikey2gunzz) March 9, 2024
Amazing performance by AJ. Nobody has ever done that to Ngannou.
— Apex Episodes (@ApexEpisodes) March 9, 2024
100% rigged
— Cliff 🔟 (@MacusCliford) March 9, 2024
Literally folded 🤯 I aint think joshua had it in him. Fury don’t stand a chance lol
— Cairo XXII (@ItsCairo_) March 9, 2024
He talked too much pic.twitter.com/hY3s5dk7i4
— The Boss☆ Ug🇺🇬 (@theonlyBossUg) March 9, 2024
Ngannou seems too strong to get knocked out that early. Respect to Joshua tho
— Olalekan Adeniji (@adenijisp) March 9, 2024
Easy work. Boxing and MMA is not the same
— Tony (@TonyAcostaUS) March 9, 2024
How was Usyk able to beat Joshua twice???
Joshua looks scary as hell lately!
— Li Mosi (@sundaymosi) March 9, 2024
Right on the chin masterful performance by Joshua
— Spanish Bull (@AlexFormoso1990) March 9, 2024
He fought a guy that’s less than amateur level at boxing. Fury’s ‘performance’ got people thinking it would be close. Now all of a sudden Joshua is ‘back’. Usyk destroyed him over 2 fights and would do again. Fury beats him all day long too.
— Tan Owen (@DanThe_O) March 9, 2024
