Joshua lands right-hand bomb to erase Ngannou in 2nd-round KO
AJ scores 3 knockdowns in spectacular win vs. former UFC champ
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In the most spectacular knockout of his career, Anthony Joshua left Francis Ngannou out cold and flat on his back on the ring mat in the second round of their heavily hyped heavyweight showdown that headlined the “Knockout Chaos” card on Friday night at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
By the time former two-time unified titleholder Joshua and Ngannou, the former UFC champion taking part in his second boxing match, walked to the ring it was the culmination of a marathon 10-hour card and about 3:20 a.m. Saudi time. But if anyone in the crowd was feeling drowsy Joshua surely perked them up with his devastating performance.
He floored Ngannou three times in all, each time courtesy of a clean right hand as he set himself up for a likely eventual shot at the winner of the May 18 undisputed title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who already owns two wins against Joshua. When Joshua would get the shot is uncertain because Fury and Usyk are contracted for two fights.
Nonetheless, Joshua won his fourth fight in a row in the past 11 months since dropping a decision in the rematch with Usyk, and looked as formidable as he ever has.
He didn’t just beat Ngannou. He erased him and made it look easy just 4½ months after lineal/WBC champion Fury struggled to a disputed 10-round split decision against Ngannou, who looked superb in his pro boxing debut as he knocked Fury down with a left hook in the third round, cut him and generally roughed him up so much that he had to postpone the planned Dec. 23 fight with Usyk.
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