Tony Bellew sings Joshua’s praises in recent interview
Anthony Joshua put on a clinic in Riyadh on March 8 by taking UFC legend Francis Ngannou out in two rounds.After three consecutive KOs, ‘AJ’ looks like he may be back to his fighting best.
His first KO in over two-and-a-half years came against ‘The Nordic Nightmare’ Robert Helenius in August 2023; then he forced tricky Swede Otto Wallin to retire after five bruising one-sided rounds in December that same year; culminating in the devastating performance against the heavy-handed MMA legend, Francis Ngannou, which saw the ex-UFC champ floored three times within two rounds.
While Ngannou may not have the same boxing pedigree or experience, the danger he presented was undeniable.
Joshua may have been the favourite ahead of the contest, though no one thought the gulf in class would be so apparent, especially after the Cameroonian’s skilful and composed display against Tyson Fury a few months prior.
Speaking to talkSPORT, former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew gave his two cents on ‘AJ’s’ most recent performance.
“I think Joshua was absolutely fantastic against Ngannou. He went in there and he punished every mistake Ngannou made.
“Pressured him with the jab, the front-foot pressure was excellent, and that right hand would’ve knocked a horse out, it really would have.
“The boy’s an unreal specimen. You’ve got to give an awful lot of credit to him and Ben Davison with the partnership they’re now forming.
“I thought it was absolutely brilliant.”
Joshua has been more active than any other top heavyweight since his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in 2022. The 34-year-old has appeared in four contests since his last defeat to the Ukrainian phenom, bouncing back with four wins with each victory looking more impressive and ending quicker than the last.
‘Bomber’ Bellew was quick to praise his fellow Brit’s activity, revealing that it’s no easy feat being so active at that top level.
“He’s done fantastic, he’s the most active heavyweight in the world.
“I think he’s had four fights in 12 months which is exceptional for any fighter, especially someone with the stardom Joshua has.”
Joshua’s activity, will no doubt have helped him climb straight back to contention for a world title fight. Unfortunately for the Watford fighter, Fury and Usyk are tied into a two-fight deal, so the former two-time heavyweight world champion will have to wait until 2024 for his shot at becoming a triple champion.
However, it appears as though there may be another path to heavyweight glory on the horizon. The IBF shows no intention of playing ball with the other sanctioning bodies and looks set to strip the winner of the May 18 clash of their IBF honours, infamous for not recognising rematch clauses.
This would leave Filip Hrgovic as the mandatory challenger for the vacated belt, with Joshua likely to be chosen as the opponent for the contest. The Croatian could be back out himself in June with talks of a matchup with him and a different Brit currently circulating.