Anthony Joshua looked sensational in his KO victory over Francis Ngannou, but have we learnt anything new?
Anthony Joshua KO’d Francis Ngannou in two rounds last night, on March 8, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
After winning gold at the London 2012 Games, AJ quickly became the poster boy for British boxing, bulldozing every opponent in his way to becoming word champion in 2016. But when he came up against the world’s best – Wladimir Klitschko, Andy Ruiz, Oleksandr Usyk – suddenly he was getting outboxed and hurt, not quite the invincible, elite fighter his fanbase overexcitedly testified to.
And now, that same, somewhat casual, fanbase are once more lauding Joshua as the best in the world for beating a one-fight novice, Eddie Hearn calling his fighter “the most dangerous heavyweight on the planet”, some even claiming the fight was staged, so there’s a lot to digest, but what exactly have we learnt from last night’s quick KO?
Tyson FuryWBC World Heavyweight Champion: “I’m sure that Oleksandr Usyk would have something to say about that [in response to Eddie Hearn calling AJ the best heavyweight in the world] considering he beat him twice.
“Me and Usyk have got an undisputed world heavyweight championship coming up and he just had a show fight in Saudi Arabia which is fantastic for the show, but for actual real boxing it’s me and Usyk who fight for No.1 or No.2 position in the undisputed championship of the world.
“I almost got it right, I predicted one round AJ when with Eddie Hearn, bless him, he did absolutely fantastic tonight, he lit him up with the right hand which was perfect and knocked him out and that’s what a boxer should have done to him, so congratulations, well done.
“But if he fights me in the future, after I’ve dealt with Usyk twice, next year then it will be a different game.”
Ariel HenwaniMME Expert: “I am stunned, I am a little bit speechless and I have no problem saying that. I have been watching Francis Ngannou fight for a very long time, not only have I never seen him knocked out, I’ve never seen him knocked down, I’ve never seen him really get hit with punches quite like that, stunned lie that, it’s shocking to see because we know he’s chin, and I know the guys took a subtle shot at me, it’s ok, I’ll stand here and take it.
“This man has been hit with 4oz gloves, he’s been hit with knees and kicks and punches from all over and to see that is stunning and all you have to do is tip your cap to Anthony Joshua. His redemption story is nothing short of amazing.”
Ray AskewBoxing Trainer: “Woke up to Joshua hysteria, people thinking with their hearts and not their heads! We learned nothing we didn’t already know about AJ, basically that he’s a massive puncher!
“We all know that Fury grates on people’s emotions, in fact it’s one of the factors that makes him such a successful fighter, but take a breath and ask yourselves has AJ’s win changed anything? The answer is no!
“Ngannou gave an untrained, out of shape Fury a harder fight than it should have been, but still lost! AJ did what he always does, KO certain fighters that get caught within six rounds or so! Heavyweight boxing can be very unpredictable and one punch can change everything and styles make fights!
“I hope the bookies think with their hearts if a fight between AJ and Fury ever happens because I’d still put money on Fury to beat Usyk and AJ.
“Ngannou beats both Fury and AJ in an MMA match in case there’s any silly Billy’s out there thinking otherwise.”
Jamie ArlainBritish Challenge Belt Champion: “I think AJ gave a great performance last night, a lot of people are saying AJ will beat Fury based on that fight, but I don’t want to take anything away from Joshua, he did what had to be done, but he was up against a novice who only had one pro fight.
“As a boxer, he put on a better performance than Fury, but in my opinion Fury didn’t train and overlooked Francis Ngannou, went through the motions and got cold, remember styles makes fights, and Fury beats Usyk and Joshua, and last night was a big wake up call to get his butt in gear.”
"Anthony Joshua is the most dangerous heavyweight in the world." – @EddieHearn 📣
Full interview: https://t.co/lW9a7u5qSI#JoshuaNgannou | #KnockoutChaospic.twitter.com/fJys3wJzzr
— Boxing News+ (@BoxingNewsPlus) March 9, 2024
Tim RicksonBBN Editor: “I’m really pleased for AJ, he looks back to his best, but if we’re asked the question ‘what have we learnt?’ then I would focus my answer on Ngannou.
“What we have learnt is that he is not a boxer and won’t be able to compete with the best in the world. He’s made lifechanging money, can look back and proudly say he knocked down the best heavyweight of his generation and was once ranked in the top 10 in the world. But that will do now, he should step away a rich man.
“AJ is looking confident again, back to being explosive, which is great, but will he beat an elite opponent? Usyk? No. Fury? No. A trilogy fight with Andy Ruiz would be a great fight for him next while the undisputed match gets decided on May 18. There’s a rematch scheduled for October, so he could have another two fights this, the Dillian Whyte rematch would be good. He could also fight Deontay Wilder while he’s all peaceful and zen and past his best. AJ fought three times last year, would love to see that happen again this year.
“In response to Hearn’s comments, Fury and Usyk are No.1 and 2, and AJ has positioned himself in third place. For me, AJ doesn’t beat either of them.”