Anthony Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou with devastating power in the second round of their crossover fight in Riyadh. Two minutes into the first round, Joshua hit a trembling straight right that knocked Ngannou to the ground hard. It was a hell of a punch, but Ngannou stood up, wisely took his time, and managed to avoid further disaster before the bell rang. But Joshua showed no mercy in the early hours of Saturday morning.
With 50 seconds left in the second round, Ngannou was caught with a right hook and then a left hook. He slumped to the canvas and looked very groggy as the referee counted. Ngannou stood up and slowly walked to the center of the ring. Joshua knocked Ngannou down with a terrifying overhand right.
It was a horrific knockout that left Ngannou visibly unconscious as doctors quickly entered the ring to attend to the injured fighter. Ngannou breathed a sigh of relief when he recovered a bit in the corner and eventually walked over to be comforted by a restrained Joshua.
In those dizzying moments, after former two-time world champion Joshua won so decisively, it felt as if a brutal sense of order had returned to the chaotic world of heavyweight boxing. Ngannou, a highly regarded mixed martial arts heavyweight champion who terrorized Tyson Fury last October when he lost his only previous professional boxing match, was The proactive Joshua was completely exposed.
Ngannou defeated Fury in a split decision on his boxing debut, a shocking performance that had little chance of being repeated as Joshua entered the ring with real intent and purpose. Joshua’s career seemed to be in jeopardy every time he stepped into the ring because after three losses, another loss was a concern. He also knows that a loss to Ngannou would be disastrous due to the UFC fighter’s lack of boxing experience.
Ngannou is tough and brave and possesses considerable power, as he proved against Fury. But his limitations in the ring were shattered by Olympic champion Joshua, who dodged 31 fights between the ropes.Yingshi Professional fighting. Joshua would be keen to face Fury next, especially if his British opponent defeats Alexander Usyk in May to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion. But Fury and Usyk have already signed a two-fight deal, which means Joshua will have to wait a while longer.
However, boxing politics could bring Joshua his own world title opportunity. The IBF sanctioning body currently insists that the winner of the Fury-Usyk fight must first defend his title against their mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic. Neither Fury nor Usyk would accept the stipulation, so in a familiar disunity, Hrgovic and Joshua will likely fight for the vacant IBF belt.
Joshua’s appearance has changed since he lost to Usyk in two consecutive fights, and his performance left Fury brooding on the sidelines. This may be an expected victory, but it is in sharp contrast to Fury’s poor performance against Ngannou and means that Joshua’s ambition to regain the world championship is back on track.
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In the main preliminaries, Joseph Parker continued his impressive performance and defeated Zhang Zhilei in 12 rounds. Parker won four fights last year with a dominant victory over Deontay Wilder, but was knocked down twice in the third and eighth rounds when Zhang landed a straight left and a chop with his right hand Knock him out. Despite bleeding from the gash on the bridge of his nose, Parker calmly fought back, delivering blows to Zhang’s head and body.
The majestic Chinese heavyweight was visibly tired in every round while Parker continued to box smartly. His clever fighting strategy meant the New Zealander won decisively in the final four rounds to earn a well-deserved victory with grit and cunning. Zhang insists there is a rematch clause in the contract, so it’s likely they will fight again later this year. But Parker, under the professional guidance of coach Andy Lee, has grown in confidence and welcomes the rematch.
Joshua created a seemingly endless night that was unforgettable. That character, scarred by past failures, indecisive and seemingly timid, has been replaced. Joshua looked vibrant and full of new energy. He now needs to prove that he can unleash such ferocious power against a champion who is savvier and more experienced than a boxing novice like Francis Ngannou.
