Following Anthony Joshua's crushing second-round knockout victory on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a perfect right hand that crushed Francis Ngannou to the canvas, promoter Eddie Hearn quickly deemed Joshua the best heavyweight in the world. world.
Yes, Joshua looks rejuvenated under trainer Ben Davison, and compared to Tyson Fury's lackluster performance against Ngannou in October, the KO was even more impressive.
While it was one of the best knockouts you'll ever see (Ngannou even needed oxygen after regaining consciousness), there's simply no basis for Hearn's claim.
The best heavyweight in the sport will be decided on May 18 in Riyadh, where Fury will face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship. Fury is No. 1 in the ESPN heavyweight rankings and Usyk is No. 2. More importantly, Fury is the lineal champion and remains undefeated, while Usyk already owns two clear decision wins over Joshua.
There's no shame in being third, of course, especially when the other two are all-time greats and both reside in ESPN's pound-for-pound top 10.
Regardless of who wins, Fury and Usyk are set for a rematch later this year, meaning Joshua must bide his time to truly establish himself as the best heavyweight in the world.
“For some reason, in the last five years there have always been some things that get in the way of [me fighting Joshua]” Fury said. “And this time the s— is the undisputed world heavyweight championship. So that's on the back burner for now. Great performance by AJ. Fantastic.
“But unfortunately, I have more important things to do in Usyk on May 18. And we have a rematch in October. So, after that, if he's still available and I'm still available, let's move on.”
No matter what happens in the meantime, Joshua's performance on Friday night couldn't have been better.
In the lead-up, there were many observers backing Ngannou to defeat Joshua after the way he performed against Fury. Joshua showed a shaky chin and confidence aside from his shocking loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 and a pair of setbacks to Usyk.
Therefore, it was far from a foregone conclusion that Joshua would hit Ngannou in such an explosive manner. That generated excitement for a showdown with Fury that seemed to simmer in recent years.
But now, Joshua must wait and hope that Fury emerges victorious from his series of fights with Usyk. If Fury does it, a showdown with Joshua next year will be the biggest boxing event in UK history and one of the biggest fights in the division, period.
“I had a shitty performance against Ngannou,” Fury said. “It was no secret. I never said anything different. However, styles make fights, and I almost got it right. I predicted a round [for Joshua]. …she caught him with her right hand, which was perfect and knocked him out.
“That's what a boxer should have done to him… But if he fights me in the future after having faced Usyk twice next year, then it would be a different game.”
Let's hope we find out. –Mike Coppinger
Where does Ngannou go from here?
There's certainly no shame in losing, even if Ngannou passed out in less than two rounds. After all, this was only his second boxing match. This was truly unprecedented: two fights against Hall of Fame boxers to start a boxing career.
Ngannou can and likely will return to MMA, where he is among the best heavyweights in the sport. He has signed to fight in the PFL, where he has yet to debut because they let him box, and told ESPN on Sunday that it is possible for him to compete in MMA later this year.
It is likely that despite the loss, Ngannou can still make a lot more money in boxing. He is one of the most recognizable names in the fighting game and the memory of Ngannou taking down Fury cannot be erased. But after fighting the best the division has to offer, where would Ngannou really go from here in a boxing ring? Perhaps a fight with Deontay Wilder would be compelling.
Still, it makes virtually no sense for the 37-year-old to take his opponent down several notches to prove his worth in boxing. He has nothing to prove.
Ngannou has already beaten the odds 10 times and earned the amount of money he only dreamed of while starring in the UFC. Regardless of what Ngannou does next, his legacy is assured, both in the octagon and in the ring. –Mike Coppinger
Does this version of Anthony Joshua beat Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk?
The two-time world heavyweight champion is in dangerous shape and his confidence is fully restored after this brutal finish. But let's not get too excited about this victory over Ngannou.
Since consecutive points losses to WBA/IBF/WBO world champion Usyk in 2021 and 2022, Joshua steadily improved in knockout victories over Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin. Joshua's fifth-round demolition of Wallin on December 23 was his best performance in at least five years, but his annihilation of Ngannou is one of the best results in his professional career that began after his medal win. Remember, Ngannou knocked down Fury before Fury won a points decision in a non-title fight in October.
It will be fascinating to see this dangerous version of Joshua against Usyk or his English rival Fury, the WBC champion. The winner of Fury-Usyk, who will meet on May 18, is the only fight for Joshua, but he will have to wait until next year for that. Fury and Usyk have a rematch clause, meaning Joshua will have to have an interim fight. That leaves plenty of time to debate who is the best heavyweight.
Usyk and Fury are skilled operators, and as good as Joshua's right hands were against Ngannou, it will all come down to whether Joshua has the ring IQ to close the space and land his powerful punches. It's too early to say whether Joshua will beat either champion, especially considering Usyk beat him convincingly twice. But Joshua simply made the debate over who is the best that much more intense. –Nick Parkinson
