In the heart of Riyadh, Anthony Joshua transformed into a wrecking machine, dismantling Francis Ngannou with a staggering second-round knockout. The ex-heavyweight kingpin, cool and deadly, sent Ngannou to the canvas thrice, the last descent leaving him sprawled and gasping for air.
It was a masterclass in demolition from AJ, clocking in at 2:38 of the second. Joshua nearly wrapped it up in the first round with a razor-sharp right that floored Ngannou, especially after the latter’s bold switch to southpaw. Ngannou rose, attempting a comeback, clipping Joshua with a left that might’ve sparked a flicker of concern.
Yet, AJ, in his element, unleashed a ferocious right in the second round, grounding Ngannou with even more force. The warrior spirit in Ngannou saw him rise again, only for Joshua to end the night with a thunderous right, knocking Ngannou into oblivion. That punch, as per ringside pundits, could very well be the heaviest witnessed in real-time. Joshua’s brilliance shone through, sparking debates about his next move at 34.
Aanother MMA fighter decided to lace up the gloves and step into a world that, let’s face it, might as well be Narnia to them. This time, it was the formidable presence of an MMA behemoth, daring to trade the cage for the ring, as if the two were remotely interchangeable.
The spectacle unfolded like a well-rehearsed play, with our boxing maestro delivering a performance so devastating, it seemed the MMA fighter was auditioning for a role in a slapstick comedy rather than a serious fight. The bell rang, and there it was, the textbook display of a fish out of water, flailing in an attempt to find its bearings in a sea of jabs, hooks, and uppercuts.
It’s almost as if—bear with me here—boxers are, in fact, better at boxing. Shocking, I know. Who would have thought that years of honing one’s craft in a specific discipline would make them adept in that very field? It’s a revelation that might just shake the foundations of combat sports as we know it.
So, dear readers, as the dust settles and the echoes of the final bell fade, we’re left to ponder the eternal question: will MMA fighters ever learn? Or will the allure of the ring continue to beckon, like a siren’s call, promising glory but delivering a harsh lesson in the sweet science?
Ngannou, at 37, faces a crossroads post this defeat, with Joshua advising him against hanging up his gloves in the ring for the cage. But will he heed that advice after such a defeat? Eddie Hearn, in a post-fight buzz, hailed Joshua as the pinnacle of heavyweight boxing, eagerly anticipating a showdown with Tyson Fury.
