Brutal Anthony Joshua KO saw medics storm ring in most frightening thing I’ve ever seen in boxing
Eddie Hearn named Anthony Joshua’s KO of Francis Ngannou as the best he has ever seen while sat ringside.
Hearn has watched every step of Joshua’s career live from ringside, having promoted the two-time heavyweight world champion since his debut in October 2013.
Joshua is a notorious KO artist who has left some of the very best operators flat on their back using his notorious punching power.
He has flattened the likes of Wladimir Klitschko and Dillian Whyte during his stellar time in the paid ranks.
But Hearn has named his devastating stoppage of Ngannou in 2023 as the best KO and most frightening thing he’s seen while watching squared circle action.
He told talkSPORT.com: “The best one I’ve seen, not pound-for-pound credibility wise was Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou.
“It was the most frightening thing I’ve ever seen, particularly when I got in the ring afterwards.”
Hearn also named Leigh Wood’s KO victory over Michael Conlan in February 2023 and Alexander Povetkin’s KO of Dillian Whyte in 2020 as two notable favourites.
Joshua is a boxing superstar and that has largely been down to his entertaining fan-friendly punching style.
Ngannou was largely an unknown entity taking on Joshua in his second ever boxing fight after making the switch from the UFC.
But ‘The Predator’ was himself known as perhaps the most powerful puncher, particularly given he had floored Tyson Fury in his boxing debut just months before.
Although it wasn’t to be anywhere near enough with Joshua dispatching of Ngannou in the most emphatic way possible.
Joshua had knocked Ngannou down, but it was the second right hand which put his rival to sleep.
The MMA specialist was out cold before he even touched the canvas.
And medics stormed the ring to check on the welfare of Ngannou, who was fine after receiving treatment.
Despite the incredible punch which was heard by those ringside, Joshua’s opponent believes there was other factors which contributed to the devastating shot.
Ngannou added: “I got into the ring and I wasn’t feeling myself. The first round when he knocked me down I was like, ‘Did I slip?’ What exactly knocked me down? I felt the punch but it wasn’t the punch that knocked me down.
“I really got confused at that time. I was like ‘Damn, what?’ But from that moment I got knocked down with a punch that wasn’t that hard.
“He hit my hand before he hit my face and I felt it, I felt the punch but it wasn’t [enough to put knock me down.
“I went to my corner, I never came back from that, from there I don’t remember when l left the stool to get into the second round.
“I remember exactly what happened until I got to the stool. I remember sitting there and I started to have blurry vision.
“The guy in front of me [the cornerman) was speaking to me and then the voice was getting distant.
“I don’t know if it was the fatigue, but something wasn’t right.”
