Anthony Joshua was walking away before his opponent even hit the floor in thunderous one-punch KO – Francis Ngannou must beware his power too

06/03/2024 08:00

Francis Ngannou will no doubt know he must beware Anthony Joshua’s power.

The pair meet on Friday night in Riyadh, headlining a show entitled ‘Knockout Chaos’ in reference to the stunning punch power both men possess.

In his twelfth pro fight in 2015, AJ picked up arguably the best KO of his career when he made light work of Raphael Zumbano Love.

The Brazilian heavyweight had the experience advantage going into the fight, with 47 previous fights under his belt.

However, it certainly did not look that way once the first bell rang.

Joshua was cool, calm and collected for as long as the fight lasted, stalking Zumbano Love around the ring.

Halfway through round two, Joshua landed the finishing blow, sending Zumbano Love to the canvas with a crushing right hand.

It seemed AJ knew the fight was over as soon as the punch landed, as he turned and began walking away before his opponent’s body had even thudded on the canvas.

The brave Brazilian attempted to make it back to his feet, but once again fell against the ropes and so the referee wisely waved off the contest.

Knocking out opponents in stunning fashion had become so normal for Joshua at this point of his career that he barely even celebrated, simply holding his hand up to the crowd and bowing.

Ngannou of course has his own highlight reel of stunning knockouts.

Much of the focus leading up to his fight with Joshua has been on his record-breaking power, especially after he floored Tyson Fury in October.

However, the Zumbano Love KO should be a stern reminder that AJ possesses serious strength of his own.