Since Francis Ngannou went the distance of 10 rounds against Tyson Fury in his debut match last year, many expected ‘The Predator’ to deliver yet another spectacular performance against Anthony Joshua. Meanwhile, calling himself “the underground king,” Ngannou even declared he would knock out ‘AJ’ with a clean shot. However, Joshua, labeling Ngannou as his “main focus,” considered the fight his “everything“.
Similarly, ‘AJ’ fought the fight, living up to his and his coach, Ben Davidson‘s expectations. In only the second round of the match, Anthony Joshua put Francis Ngannou to sleep. On that note, following the event, several professional boxers took to social media and lauded Joshua’s boxing.
Claressa Shields, Devin Haney, Nico Ali Walsh, and others praise Anthony Joshua’s stunning treatment of Francis Ngannou
After the bell rang, Anthony Joshua, despite being patient, did not waste his time. He kept Ngannnou, who hopes to have a rematch with Fury, surprised and guessing for as long as the duo fought. In the first round of the fight, after Ngannou shifted to the southpaw stance, Joshua measured the range and hit the former with a fast right hand to score the first knockdown of the fight. In the second round, with less than a minute left, ‘AJ’ knocked ‘The Predator’ down for the second time. And right after Ngannou stood up on his feet, Joshua landed a solid cross on Ngannou’s chin, which saw the latter’s soul leave the body.
Reacting to Joshua’s win, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, Nico Ali Walsh, said, “Really hope Francis is okay. No surprise by Joshua…”
On the other hand, Claressa Shields said, “Wow, boxing wins again.” However, she also appreciated Francis Ngannou’s efforts.
According to Stephen Espinoza, the result of Fury vs. Ngannou “said more about Fury than Ngannou.” In his opinion, it is not that Ngannou is an extraordinary boxer but, Fury did not fight ‘The Predator’ like he should have had in 2023.
Like I've been saying, the Fury-Ngannou result said more about Fury than Ngannou. But most people seemed intent on making it about something that it wasn't.
With that said, what do you have to say about Anthony Joshua’s KO win over Francis Ngannou? Do you think the cross he landed on Francis was impressive? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. For more boxing updates,
Anthony Joshua has climbed up Ring Magazine’s rankings after his devastating victory over Francis Ngannou.
The former heavyweight champion sent his rival to the canvas in the opening round and then hit the deck again before his lights were put out with a powerful right-hand.
Joshua has now won four bouts in a row against Ngannou, Otto Wallin, Robert Helenius and Jermaine Franklin after his back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
His strong recent performances have seen him climb up from third to second in the Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings.
Joseph Parker has also risen up the list following his two huge victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Oleksandr Usyk maintains the Ring magazine title, having first secured the crown in his second win over AJ in 2022.
He is ready to put that belt as well as his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO titles on the line as he faces Fury on May 18.
The £100million ‘Fight of the Century’ was initially set to take place on February 17, only for the Gypsy King to pull out as he sustained a nasty cut above his eye.
THE MEN that have faced both Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have predicted who they believe would win an all-British showdown.
AJ produced a brilliant second round knockout to demolish Francis Ngannou last Friday.
Anthony Joshua brutally knocked out Francis NgannouTyson Fury had been floored by the UFC legend just months earlier
That was his fourth win on the bounce as he continues his quest to try and become a three-time heavyweight world champion.
That was the first time that UFC legend Ngannou had been KOed in his career.
And it came just five months’ after he floored and then took WBC title holder Fury the distance in Saudi Arabia.
The Gypsy King is preparing to face Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 in order to unify the division, with a rematch clause inserted into the package.
Joshua is widely-believed to be set to face the winner of those showdowns.
And that means that there is the prospect of a potential gigantic tussle with compatriot and long-time rival Fury.
As well as Ngannou, who says he “would give it to AJ for right now” when quizzed about who would emerge victorious, four other men have been between the ropes with both.
They are Kevin Johnson, Dillian Whyte, Otto Wallin and Wladimir Klitschko – and here is who they believe would win the Battle of Britain clash:
KEVIN JOHNSON
The American lost to Fury in 2012 via unanimous decision and then courtesy of KO to Joshua three years later.
He predicted: “Tyson Fury has one thing that many people can’t beat.
Anthony Joshua (left) knocks down Kevin Johnson in May 2015
“It’s not skill, Anthony Joshua is definitely the more skillful fighter, but Tyson Fury is so long and in a safety zone with that reach and movement, he made Wladimir Klitschko look like an amateur.
“He didn’t do that because he has more skill, everybody knows that Klitschko would knock him out, but you’ve got to get past that reach.
“It’s like giving somebody a sniper rifle and asking somebody 20 yards away to run up on him.”
Tyson Fury (centre) celebrates defeating Kevin Johnson (right) in 2012
DILLIAN WHYTE
The Body Snatcher has just been cleared to return after an “adverse analytical finding” caused his rematch with Joshua to be cancelled last August.
He beat AJ in the amateurs, but suffered a seventh round KO when they met professionally in 2015 while he was brutally stopped in the sixth by Fury at Wembley in 2022.
AJ beat Dillian Whyte at The O2 in 2015
When asked previously about AJ vs Fury, Whyte said: “This is heavyweight boxing, man.
“Who would’ve said Hasim Rahman or Oliver McCall would have knocked out Lennox Lewis? It’s heavyweight boxing.
“Wladimir Klitschko lost to Ross Puritty, no-one even knows that guy. There’s a case for both guys winning this fight, I think. Both guys showed a lot of versatility in their fights.
“[Joshua’s] two fights with [Andy] Ruiz and [Fury’s] two fights with [Deontay] Wilder – they’re the same guys but they’re different styles and different ways of getting the victory.
“Joshua had a loss against Ruiz, Fury had a draw against Wilder. Then Fury came off the back foot, was aggressive and knocked Wilder out.
“And Joshua came off the front foot, got on the back foot and got a points decision against Andy Ruiz.
“You see what I’m saying? It’s hard, only true fans of each guy will say, ‘This guy’s gonna win.’ It’s very hard, I don’t think no boxing purist would say, ‘This guys gonna win because of this.’”
The Body Snatcher was brutally stopped by the Gypsy King with an upper cut
WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO
The legendary Ukrainian suffered a huge upset when Fury beat him in Germany in November 2015 on points to become heavyweight champ.
Klitschko and Joshua then produced a classic in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley seventeen months later as both stars hit the canvas in the rollercoaster clash.
Tyson Fury shocked the world back in November 2015 against Wladimir Klitschko
It was eventually AJ that delivered the finisher, knocking the veteran down tice in the 11th which resulted in the ref stopping it.
And Klitschko has no doubts who would win out of AJ vs Fury, saying: “Hands down Joshua.
“He is getting to be the complete fighter. Technically, size-wise, weight-wise, power-wise. And he is a good learner. The other guy [Fury], like a fart in the wind it is there and it is gone.
“In the history of boxing there are a lot of examples of this kind of guy. They can be successful for a time but are not disciplined enough to continue to be successful.
“I wish Tyson well but I think there is a lack of discipline there, and discipline is more important than motivation.
“Drawing from my experience I would say it is going to be very difficult for Tyson because there’s that lack of discipline.”
AJ and the Ukrainian produced a classic at Wembley in 2017
OTTO WALLIN
The Swede was only meant to be a tune-up for Fury ahead of his rematch with Wilder in 2019 but he almost caused a huge shock.
He caused a huge gash above the Gypsy King’s right eye that almost caused the doctor to step in, only for Fury to bravely battle on and get the decision before heading to hospital to receive 47 stitches.
But AJ suffered no scares against Wallin on December 23 at Day of Reckoning in Saudi Arabia as he dished out so much punishment that his rival’s corner was forced to throw in the towel after the fifth round.
On a potential fight between the Brits, Wallin said: “Well, I would say that this fight with Joshua was a lot tougher than the fight I had with Fury.
“It’s hard to say [what would happen in a fight between Fury and Joshua]. I think that Fury’s a very good fighter. Can probably pick it up from what he was doing in his last fight.
“It’s a decent fight. We’ll see what happens with Joshua now.
“He might be on to something really good with Ben Davison, and Ben obviously knows Tyson. I don’t know. There’s a lot of variables.
“I always said that Fury would win that fight, but now just being in with Joshua, I feel a little bit different.
“It’s hard to go against Tyson I think. But, I don’t know, it’s changed my mind a bit after this fight.”
After losing to both British heavyweights in the last six months
Francis Ngannou has weighed in on the long-contested debate over who would win if Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury ever faced off inside the ring.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou has fought both British heavyweights in the last six months, but fallen to defeats on both occasions, most recently to Joshua last Friday.
The Cameroonian fighter suffered a stunning second-round knockout loss against the former two-time heavyweight champion in Saudi Arabia, falling afoul of a stunning right from the Brit.
After hitting the deck twice already in the fight it proved too much for Ngannou to come back from, and he was seemingly unconscious by the time he hit the canvas for the third time on the night.
Against Fury, the MMA star made it the distance, with many talking up his credentials as a boxer after the surprising result, and as a veteran of both fights he is perhaps well placed to give his verdict on a potential winner.
After losing to AJ on Friday, Ngannou was asked who he backed to come out on top if the two ever crossed paths, he told iFL TV: ‘I don’t know, I would give it to AJ for right now.’
When asked about whether he was caught out by Joshua’s power, he added: ‘I think he got the right timing. It was about the timing, mostly.
Joshua has looked back to his best in his most recent fights, beating Otto Wallin in December after his corner threw in the towel, having stopped Robert Helenius in August 2023 for a first knockout win in almost three years.
However, following his win over Ngannou on Friday, Fury appeared to throw some shade at Joshua.
‘Me and Oleksandr Usyk have got an undisputed heavyweight world title fight coming up, and he’s just had a show fight – which is fantastic for the show, but for the actual real boxing it’s me and Usyk who fight for the No 1 position and undisputed,’ he told talkSPORT’s Michael Benson.
Joshua hit out at the Gypsy King in the wake of his second-round win, seemingly brushing off his compatriot’s comments and dubbing him a trash talker.
Joshua called Fury’s remarks about Ngannou ‘disrespectful’ after the MMA star ‘changed his life around’
Speaking to iFL TV, Joshua was asked about Fury’s reaction to his knockout and simply replied: ‘F*** Tyson Fury.’
He added: ‘You know what it is? I don’t like trash talking people but I heard him say something like “I’m here to do commentary about these two sausages”.
‘That guy that I fought (Ngannou), that he fought, is an ex-UFC heavyweight champion. A phenomenal story. Someone who changed his life around.
‘It’s too disrespectful. Forget anything about him.’
Gervonta Davis’ punching power was proved once again when he took on the punch machine challenge.
The hard-hitting 5ft 5ins unbeaten American boxing star has a stunning record of 29-0 (27 KOs) – which gives him a 93 per cent knockout ratio.
Davis is a renowned power puncher
His next fight looks set to be against Frank Martin on June 15, and fans will be expecting another KO.
And it’s easy to see why when you look back to Tank’s history of proving his power.
Prior to Deontay Wilder vs Dominic Breazeale in 2019, both heavyweights made separate appearances on the Inside PBC Boxing show to give interviews and test their strength on the punch machine.
Coincidentally, a young Davis was on the same program as Breazeale and so also had a go at the challenge.
Wilder sent a rhyming video message to the pair before the show began and challenged them both to beat his high score of 927, that he previously set with his weaker left hand.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Gervonta Davis and Dominic Breazeale,” Wilder said, “Welcome fellas to a place where we will test your will.
“The bag that is placed before you will test your power and your skill.
“When I did it, I calculated a whopping 927.
Wilder’s power is world famous
“And that was only with my left hand, so imagine if I touch either of your chins, you’re bound to go to heaven.
“That’s enough about me, it’s all about you today. So step up to the plate and test your fate. Let the world see if you’ve got what it takes.”
Davis stepped up first and smashed the punch machine with his southpaw left hand.
He scored an incredible 939 and then realized he’d surpassed Wilder: “I beat him!”
Next came Breazeale who was only able to register a score of 889, despite holding a huge size advantage over Tank.
Tank’s record even surpassed that of Anthony Joshua, though the Brit’s score admittedly did come on a different machine.
Joshua took the punch machine challenge during an appearance on the Graham Norton show in 2017.
He let his fellow guests – actors Rachel Weisz, Martin Freeman and Greg Davies – go first.
They scored 182, 594 and 632 respectively before AJ turned up and smashed it with his right hand.
He scored 848 – breaking the machine’s existing record of 787.
The stars came out for Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou.
AJ sent Ngannou to sleep in the second round of their thrilling crossover clash to save boxing’s reputation.
Joshua was congratulated by Mourinho and R9 at ringside after his stunning KO
The former heavyweight champion scored two early knockdowns before shutting off his adversary’s lights with a booming right hand at the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia on Friday night.
Jose Mourinho and the Brazilian Ronaldo were at ringside to witness the stunning stoppage – and both made their way up to the apron to congratulate the Brit.
While his training team began to unlace his gloves Joshua saw the football legends edging closer towards him and leaned over the ropes to acknowledge the pair.
“My guy, my guy,” said Joshua as he shook Mourinho’s hand.
“You’re incredible,” gushed the Portuguese manager.
Mourinho and Ronaldo weren’t the only big-name celebrities to turn out in Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo, was as always, in the front row while boxing icons Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, David Haye and Kell Brook were all in attendance as well.
Ngannou’s former dance partner Tyson Fury, who struggled immensely against the Cameroonian cage fighter last October, was also front and centre for the clash.
Joshua stopped Ngannou in the second round of their crossover clash
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) March 9, 2024
Speaking on the DAZN broadcast in the immediate aftermath of AJ-Ngannou, he said: “I’m sure Oleksandr Usyk will have something to say something about that. I had a s*** performance against Ngannou.
“AJ did absolutely fantastic and lit him up with a right hand, if he fights me after I beat Usyk twice then it will be a different game.
“There is quite a long way to go, fantastic performance from AJ but I have bigger fish to fry.
“If we are both still available after my two fights with Usyk, let’s get it on.
“He has to keep active and maybe he can fight Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF belt.”
Anthony Joshua has expressed his desire to fight Tyson Fury next, having knocked out Francis Ngannou in devastating fashion on Friday.
Ex-UFC champion Ngannou made his boxing debut in October, dropping Fury in a shocking moment before losing a controversial decision. The Cameroonian did not come close to replicating that performance against Joshua, however, suffering a brutal second-round loss.
Briton Joshua, 34, dropped Ngannou, 37, in round one and did the same twice in round two. The final knockdown proved decisive, with Ngannou out cold on the canvas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Joshua then seemed to make a gun gesture at his preferred next target, Fury, who was sat in the front row at the Kingdom Arena.
Speaking in the ring after the win, “AJ” said: “If that was me [losing], you’d be saying, ‘Joshua should retire.’ I don’t know if I’m in my peak. I’m pushing day by day, who knows where it will take me? In five years, I won’t be fighting no more, this will be a distant memory
Anthony Joshua sends message to Tyson Fury after Francis Ngannou knockout
Joshua knocked out Ngannou in round two, five months after the Cameroonian dropped the ‘Gypsy King’
Tyson Fury has provided an update on a showdown with Anthony Joshua after his rival’s devastating knockout of Francis Ngannou.
The heavyweight world champion watched ringside in Riyadh as ‘AJ’ dispatched the former UFC champion in two dominant rounds with a crushing performance.
Ngannou was dropped heavily twice before the emphatic finish, sparking excitement over a potential meeting between the two British rivals.
Fury is in line to face Oleksandr Usyk, who beat Joshua twice previously, in an undisputed title fight in May, but Joshua reiterated his desire to meet the winner in the immediate aftermath of his latest victory.
Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou in round two, five months after the Cameroonian dropped the ‘Gypsy King’ in a split decision defeat
Tyson Fury provides update on Anthony Joshua fight
“There’s quite a long way to go, there’s always been a lot of shit getting in the way of it. I’ve got bigger fish to fry, 18 May, then we have a rematch in October. After that, if he’s still available and I’m available, let’s get it on.
“yes, it goes both ways, he can do what he wants, whoever he fights, he can’t wait a year, inactivity is no good.
“After I beat Usyk, the IBF will be vacant, so maybe he can fight Hrgovic.
“I’m healing well, I’m not even in camp yet, I’ll go to camp at the end of March and I’ll spar then.”
Follow the latest reaction and news after Anthony Joshua’s thrilling display against ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia
Anthony Joshua produced one of the finest performances of his career in a devastating knockout of Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua, a former two-time unified heavyweight champion, took a step closer to a blockbuster undisputed fight against Tyson Fury with a superior performance to his rival, who was made to work by the Cameroonian on his debut last October.
Joshua dropped the former UFC champion twice before a crushing third knockdown pinned Ngannou to the canvas in an emphatic stoppage.
The 34-year-old confirmed he is now in line to face the winner of Fury against Oleksandr Usyk, who beat ‘AJ’ twice previously. Follow the latest reaction and relive all the action from Knockout Chaos below:
Anthony Joshua sends message to Tyson Fury with apparent gun gesture
Anthony Joshua has expressed his desire to fight Tyson Fury next, having knocked out Francis Ngannou in devastating fashion on Friday.
Ex-UFC champion Ngannou made his boxing debut in October, dropping Fury in a shocking moment before losing a controversial decision. The Cameroonian did not come close to replicating that performance against Joshua, however, suffering a brutal second-round loss.
Briton Joshua, 34, dropped Ngannou, 37, in round one and did the same twice in round two. The final knockdown proved decisive, with Ngannou out cold on the canvas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Joshua then seemed to make a gun gesture at his preferred next target, Fury, who was sat in the front row at the Kingdom Arena.
Speaking in the ring after the win, “AJ” said: “If that was me [losing], you’d be saying, ‘Joshua should retire.’ I don’t know if I’m in my peak. I’m pushing day by day, who knows where it will take me? In five years, I won’t be fighting no more, this will be a distant memory.
Tyson Fury provides update on Anthony Joshua fight: ‘There’s still a long way to go’
Tyson Fury has provided an update on a showdown with Anthony Joshua after his rival’s devastating knockout of Francis Ngannou.
The heavyweight world champion watched ringside in Riyadh as ‘AJ’ dispatched the former UFC champion in two dominant rounds with a crushing performance.
Ngannou was dropped heavily twice before the emphatic finish, sparking excitement over a potential meeting between the two British rivals.
Fury is in line to face Oleksandr Usyk, who beat Joshua twice previously, in an undisputed title fight in May, but Joshua reiterated his desire to meet the winner in the immediate aftermath of his latest victory.
Well, that was quite the spectacle and worth the wait.
Both boxers, and fans around the world, were kept waiting by the undercard bouts.
How it was worth every second of the time spent in anticipation.
That final right-hand punch from Anthony Joshua will be talked about and replayed for years.
It was as destructive and powerful a punch as you could imagine.
The damage had been done by the previous two blows and Francis Ngannou had no energy left to respond to the build-up to the knockout blow as Joshua lined up his man.
We hope you enjoyed our build-up – not quite to the level of Joshua’s – and the coverage of the fight itself.
It was a blockbuster performance from the man who would be king of the heavyweight division.
A huge fight awaits Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Uysk, which will set up the most mouthwatering of fights after Joshua’s display in Riyadh.
Saturday and Sunday are packed with T20 international cricket and Premier League football, so please tune in if you can.
