Anthony Joshua’s KO of Francis Ngannou was exactly what Tyson Fury was supposed to do

After Anthony Joshua's stunning second-round knockout victory Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a perfect right hand that flattened Francis Ngannou cold on the canvas, promoter Eddie Hearn quickly deemed Joshua the best heavyweight in the world. world.

Yes, Joshua looks rejuvenated under trainer Ben Davison, and compared to Tyson Fury's lackluster performance against Ngannou in October, the knockout was even more impressive.

While this was one of the best knockouts you'll ever see – Ngannou even needed oxygen after coming to his senses – there is simply no basis for Hearn's claim.

The sport's best heavyweight will be decided on May 18 in Riyadh, where Fury will meet Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship. Fury is No. 1 in ESPN's heavyweight rankings and Usyk is No. 2. More importantly, Fury is the lineal champion and remains undefeated while Usyk already owns two clear decision wins over Joshua.

There's no shame in sitting third, of course, especially when the other two are all-time greats and both reside in ESPN's pound-for-pound top 10.

No matter who wins, Fury and Usyk are set for a rematch later this year, meaning Joshua has to wait for his shot to truly establish himself as the best heavyweight in the world.

“For some reason, over the last five years, there's always been some bullshit that's gotten in the way [me fighting Joshua]” Fury said. “And this time the s— is the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. So it's on the back burner for the moment. Great performance from AJ. Fantastic.

“But unfortunately I have a bigger fish to play in Usyk on May 18. And we have a rematch in October. So after that, if he's still available and I'm still available, let's go for it.”

No matter what happens in the meantime, Joshua's performance Friday night couldn't have been better.

In the build-up, many observers backed Ngannou to knock out Joshua after the way he performed against Fury. Joshua showed a shaky chin and confidence following his shocking loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 and two setbacks to Usyk.

It was therefore far from certain that Joshua would train Ngannou in such an explosive manner. What he did is creating hype for a clash with Fury that has seemed to simmer over the past few years.

But now Joshua has to wait and hope that Fury emerges victorious in his series of fights with Usyk. If Fury does it, a clash with Joshua next year will be the biggest boxing event in UK history and one of the best fights in the division, period.

“I had a damn performance against Ngannou,” Fury said. “It wasn't a secret. I never said otherwise. However, styles make fights, and I almost succeeded. I predicted a round [for Joshua]. … He lit him up with a right hand, which was perfect, and knocked him out.

“That's what a boxer should have done to him. … But if he fights me in the future after facing Usyk twice next year, then it would be a different match.”

Hopefully we will find out. –Mike Coppinger

Where does Ngannou go from here?

There's certainly no shame in losing, even if Ngannou lost his mind in less than two rounds. After all, this was only his second boxing match. It was truly unprecedented: two fights against Hall of Fame boxers to launch a pugilist career.

Ngannou can and will likely return to MMA, where he is among the best heavyweights in the sport. He signed to fight with the PFL, where he has yet to debut because they let him box, and he told ESPN on Sunday that it's possible he'll compete in MMA later this year .

It is likely that despite the defeat, Ngannou will still be able to earn significantly more money in boxing. He is one of the most recognizable names in the fight game and the memory of Ngannou grounding Fury cannot be erased. But after fighting the best in the division, where would Ngannou actually go in a boxing ring? Maybe a fight with Deontay Wilder would be compelling.

Still, there's virtually no point in the 37-year-old dropping his opponent several levels to prove himself in boxing. He has nothing to prove.

Ngannou has already upset the odds 10 times and earned the kind of money he only dreamed of playing in the UFC. Whatever Ngannou does next, his legacy is assured – both in the Octagon and in the ring. –Mike Coppinger

Does this version of Anthony Joshua beat Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk?

The two-time world heavyweight champion is in dangerous form and his confidence is fully restored after this brutal finish. But let's not be overly happy with this victory against Ngannou.

Since his back-to-back points losses to WBA/IBF/WBO world champion Usyk in 2021 and 2022, Joshua has steadily improved in stoppage victories over Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin. Joshua's fifth-round demolition of Wallin on December 23 was his best performance in at least five years, but his annihilation of Ngannou is one of the best results of his professional career which began after his Olympic gold medal in 2012. Remember, Ngannou floored Fury before Fury won a points decision in a non-title fight in October.

It will be fascinating to see this dangerous version of Joshua against Usyk or his English rival Fury, the WBC champion. The winner of Fury-Usyk, who meets on May 18, is the only fight for Joshua, but he will have to wait until next year for that. Fury and Usyk have a rematch clause, meaning Joshua will have to have an interim fight. This leaves plenty of time to debate who is the better heavyweight.

Usyk and Fury are skilled operators, and as good as Joshua's right hands are against Ngannou, it will come down to whether Joshua has the ring IQ to close space and land his power shots. It's too early to tell if Joshua will beat either champion, especially since Usyk convincingly beat him twice. But Joshua just made the debate over who is better that much more intense. -Nick Parkinson