Anthony Joshua has won his fourth straight fight by securing a second-round knockout win over Cameroonian boxer, Francis Ngannou, in the main event of the “Knockout Chaos” card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
After securing consecutive victories in 2023 with wins over Jermaine Franklin in April and Robert Helenius with a seventh-round knockout in August, Joshua, in December, cruised to a fifth-round technical knockout win over Otto Wallin, who had been expected to be a formidable opponent, especially with his southpaw stance.
Joshua has now secured knockout wins over two fighters who took Tyson Fury the distance in Wallin and Ngannou.
Ngannou shocked fans when he knocked Fury down in their bout last year and because of that performance, fans believed he could pull a shocker against Joshua too.
Joshua, however, silenced the doubters, outboxing Ngannou throughout the two rounds and he made a statement like he promised with a knockout win inside just five minutes of their fight.
Francis Ngannou bounced up and down on his toes. He saluted his fans who excitedly blew their vuvuzela horns.
But in a blink of some weary eyes, the fight was over. Joshua scored a brutal second-round stoppage win over the former UFC champion.
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The Cameroonian-born boxer needed a doctor after he was knocked out and received oxygen at the corner of the ring before he stood back up.
In the post-match conference, Joshua expressed readiness to face the winner of Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk for a chance back at the world heavyweight titles.
The rejuvenated steward was back on his feet and the journalist would make his flight with time to spare.
“I’ve got the will to win and that’s what’s most important,” Joshua said to the media an hour later.
“Half of these people thought he was going to beat me. I can see you lot. You lot thought he was going to beat me.
“I just do what I do. Do my best. Get the job done. I don’t do it to prove anything. I just do it for myself.”
It was a statement victory made all the sweeter with Joshua’s arch-nemesis, compatriot Tyson Fury, watching on.
Just 133 days ago, in the same arena and against the same opponent, Fury fought tooth and nail with Ngannou in a split decision points win that could have gone either way.
“Francis Ngannou beat the WBC heavyweight champion of the world. I should be the WBC heavyweight champion of the world right now. You know what I mean? I think he beat [Fury],” Joshua said.
