If you were watching the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou fight on Friday evening and heard the sound of a truck hitting a car, that was no dream. That sound was coming from whichever method you were watching it from as the right hand from Joshua connected with Ngannou’s face for the most violent knockout of the year so far.
P̶r̶e̶d̶a̶t̶o̶r̶ to prey. pic.twitter.com/Eb40CrU1Dm
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) March 9, 2024
If you missed the knockout, it was an almost identical sequence from Deontay Wilder’s devastating knockout over Dominic Breazeale at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, on May 18, 2019. Like Wilder, Joshua waited until the referee called the action to resume before almost taking a running step forward and landing a devasting straight right hand, which knocked Ngannou out cold and forced the referee to stop the fight immediately.
Activity Matters
When Joshua only fights once a year, you can see how that inactivity affects him in the ring. From 2020 to 2022, Joshua fought once a year, and his record was (1-2) during that time. After his second loss, Joshua felt like he needed a change, so he made a U.S. tour from gym to gym in search of a trainer until he settled on Derrick James in Dallas, TX. James is a primarily quiet & reserved person but also demands respect in the gym, which Joshua was likely drawn to. Also, Dallas, TX, is a big city but not one that would recognize Joshua, so he would be less distracted within the community, making him more of a focused fighter.
Joshua would go on to win with James in April and August of last year before switching over to Ben Davidson for his December TKO victory over Otto Wallin. Although it felt like James laid the foundation for Joshua’s triumphant return, Joshua went back to comfortability, which was a trainer based out of the U.K., and that was Davidson. Regardless of the corner situation, Joshua fought three times, which led to three stoppages. The last time Joshua fought three times in a year with three stoppages was in 2016. One thing that everyone, including his promoter Eddie Hearn, seems to agree with is that activity matters. After Friday’s victory, Joshua must get right back in there by the summer to keep that momentum going. The question is, where does he go from here?
Anthony Joshua Looks to Become a Three-Time Heavyweight Champion
Joshua’s next fight doesn’t seem to be hard to figure out. The IBF has made it very clear that after Oleksandr Usyk & Tyson Fury fight on May 18, that version of the heavyweight title will be stripped as Usyk & Fury are contracted for two fights. Filip Hrgovic has been the mandatory for that title for quite some time, and he will get his shot at that title in the summer against likely Joshua, who is currently ranked number three in the division with the number two slot being open. If Joshua wants to continue this run, he should aim for June or July to fight Hrgovic.
What Does the Rest of the Year Look Like for Anthony Joshua?
Let’s say they make Joshua vs Hrgovic next, it will also likely feature the rematch between Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. If Joshua becomes world champion again, have him face the winner of Parker vs Zhang in the last quarter of the year, giving Joshua three fights this year for the second consecutive year. Regardless of who wins between Parker and Zhang, there are storylines for Joshua as he has a history with both fighters.
This Latest Version of Anthony Joshua is Dangerous
The one thing Joshua had before fighting Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 was confidence and the willingness to close the show. He lost that throughout the years and played it safe most of the time, which only caused him some heartbreaking losses. At 34, Joshua seems to have regained some of that lost confidence and is now more focused than ever on finishing his opponents and once again capturing the hearts and minds of fight fans. The Joshua that was missing is back, and he has activity to thank for it.
