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Some boxing fans in Lagos have continued to pour encomiums on Anthony Joshua for his massive victory over Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion and Cameroonian/French professional boxer.
The fans in separate interviews on Saturday said Joshua had lived up to the expectations and that deserved the world title shot.
Joshua, in a masterly fashion, ended the fight in a two rounds after well combination of blows landed Ngannou and sent him down to the canvass.
Ngannou had never been floored in his career, but that quickly changed in the first round, and he unfortunately never recovered from that devastating blow in the second round.
The boxing bout tagged “Knockout Chaos” was meant to go for 10 rounds non title bout, but Joshua would do the unbelievable to end it at the second round.
After the fact that Joshua a former two-time unified heavyweight world champion, Ngannou was a undisputed former mixed martial arts heavyweight champion with UFC.
The fight was held in Ryadh, Saudi Arabia.
Joshua is now expected to face off against Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, with their fight finally taking place on May 18 in their heavyweight bout.
Femi Adekoya, a boxing fan, told NAN that he was delighted for Joshua and believed that he was a noble champion of the sport.
He said that a lot of people had written him off after he lost on two occasions to Oleksandr Usyk, but winning four straight boxing bouts now put him on a very good clout.
“Joshua should not be underrated; he has proven his qualities and should be respected and given a fair chance of going for world heavyweight title belt.
“I believe solidly in him. Indeed, he is a true champion of the sport and should not be underrated at any given time,” Adekoya said.
Similarly, Remi Aboderin, the Secretary General, Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), said that it was a great outing for Joshua.
“Initially, I thought the five rounds would get up to six rounds where Anthony Joshua would unleash his qualities especially his devastating powered punch.
“The qualities of AJ prove his worth once again, indeed, he is a great entertainer and one that should be respected in the world of boxing.
“Now, he can concentrate and wait for the winner between Usyk and Tyson Furry which comes up in May.
“I see AJ coming back to be crowned world heavyweight champion of the world,” Aboderin said.
Chinnedu Okafor, another boxing fan, described the match as a world class fight that lived up to the hype and expectations.
He said that AJ was in a blistering form and had raised a lot of peoples confidence not to underrate him or downgrade his qualities.
He said that AJ would be in a more devastating form against any opponent that come his way.
“AJ is a great boxer, he has proved time and time that he is combatant ready to fight anyone in the ring.
“We wait on to see him contest for the WBC and other title belts in 2024. Indeed, this victory has put him in a nice position for the book makers,” Okafor said.
Joshua floored Ngannou three times in two rounds at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena on Saturday in a knockout win that put him right back in the reckoning for another title shot.
The big British-Nigerian sent the 37-year-old Cameroon-born former UFC heavyweight champion, a two-fight professional boxing novice, to the canvas in the opening round with a straight right to the chin.
The “Knockout Chaos” fight then lived up to its billing in spectacular fashion as Joshua sent him crashing again in the second, first with a right-left combination and then an explosive right after he had beaten the count.
The referee stepped in and stopped the fight, with Joshua declared the winner by knockout victory and Ngannou out cold and receiving treatment before getting back, stunned, to his feet.
Far more had been expected from Ngannou after he knocked down WBC champion Tyson Fury in his first bout in Riyadh in October and went on to lose on a split decision, but Joshua was merciless.
“It is what it is,” he told the crowd, teasing out the words.
Fury, who fights Ukraine’s WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champion Oleksandr Usyk in a rescheduled unification bout in Riyadh on May 18, was watching from ringside.
“I’m just here to fight. I’m going to go back to my cage, lock myself away, and then I’m going to be let out when it’s time to fight again,” said Joshua, hungry for a chance against the winner of the Usyk v Fury fight.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn sent out his own call: “There’s a brilliant fighter down there in Tyson Fury. Please beat Oleksandr Usyk, because you will get the biggest fight of all time.”
“That is one of the most destructive knockouts I’ve ever seen.”
Joshua said he had told Ngannou he was an inspiration and he could come again.
He said, “I told him he shouldn’t leave boxing, he can do well.
“Remember, he’s two fights in and he’s fought the best. He can go a long way if he stays dedicated.”
Fighting earlier on the undercard, New Zealand’s Joseph Parker beat Chinese heavyweight Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang to take the WBO interim title on a majority points decision.
Parker’s victory came in spite of suffering two knockdowns.
Parker, who beat American former WBC champion Deontay Wilder in Riyadh in December, picked himself up after a straight left in round three and came back from a left-right combination in the eighth.
The ringside judges scored the fight to Parker 113-113, 114-112 and 115-111.
“We are contracted to have a rematch, so we will do it again,” said Parker.
Britain’s Nick Ball and Mexico’s WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas earlier fought a split-decision draw in spite of the challenger twice flooring the belt-holder.