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| Anthony Joshua knocked down Francis Ngannou three times on his way to a second-round KO victory Friday night in Saudi Arabia. Richard Pelham/Getty Images |
Following Anthony Joshua's pulverizing second-round KO victory on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a picture-perfect right hand that flattened Francis Ngannou out cold on the canvas, promoter Eddie Hearn quickly deemed Joshua the world's best heavyweight.
Yes, Joshua looks rejuvenated under the guidance of trainer Ben Davison, and compared with Tyson Fury's lackluster performance against Ngannou in October, the KO was even more impressive.
While it was one of the best highlight-reel knockouts you'll ever see -- Ngannou even needed oxygen administered after he regained his senses -- there's simply no basis to Hearn's claim.
The sport's best heavyweight will be decided May 18 in Riyadh, where Fury meets Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship. Fury is No. 1 in ESPN's 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 third place, of course, especially when the two others 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, which means Joshua must wait for his shot to truly establish himself as the best heavyweight in the world.
"For some reason over the last five years there's always been some s--- that gets in the way of [me fighting Joshua]," Fury said. "And this time the s--- is the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. So that's on the backburner for now. Great performance from AJ. Fantastic.
"But unfortunately, I've got bigger fish to fry 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 get it on."
No matter what happens in the meantime, Joshua's performance Friday night couldn't have played out any better.
In the lead-up, there were many observers who backed Ngannou to knock off Joshua after the way he performed against Fury. Joshua showed a shaky chin and confidence to boot following his shocking defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 and a pair of setbacks to Usyk.
So it was far from a foregone conclusion that Joshua would drill Ngannou in such explosive fashion. That he did builds hype for a matchup with Fury that appeared to simmer over the past few years.
But now, Joshua must wait and hope Fury comes out on top from his series of bouts with Usyk. If Fury does, a matchup with Joshua next year stands as the biggest boxing event in U.K. history and of the division's top fights, period.
"I had a s--- performance against Ngannou," Fury said. "It was no secret. I've never said any different. However, styles make fights, and I almost got it right. I predicted one round [for Joshua]. ... He lit him up with the 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 I've dealt with Usyk twice next year, then it'd be a different game."
Let's hope we find out. -- Mike Coppinger
