Boxing Journalist Highlights Francis Ngannou’s “Rookie Mistake” in KO Loss to Anthony Joshua

In a stunning upset in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua silenced doubters with a second-round knockout victory over Francis Ngannou. The win was a critical one for the 34-year-old Briton, who had been searching for a dominant performance to reignite his career. Joshua looked sharp and decisive, reminiscent of his peak form, as he dismantled the Predator.

Still, Francis Ngannou has proved to be a dangerous opponent despite only having two professional boxing matches. But the excitement surrounding Ngannou’s potential was quickly extinguished by Joshua’s powerful blows. So much so that a renowned boxing journalist has now pointed out the novice mistake that got ‘Predator’ knocked out at the hands of AJ.

Francis Ngannou receives a lesson in Boxing 101

Dan Rafael reported on the biggest fight of this month – Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou. Many anticipated this fight to be a great one. However, Joshua didn’t sweat it out at all. Well, this surprised a lot of fans since a lot of people sided with Ngannou, especially after his performance against Tyson Fury. What made it so easy for AJ to KO Ngannou? Dan Rafael noted on X, “Rookie mistake from Ngannou leaving his left hand in no man’s land instead of defending himself.”

One of the fans while sharing a clip from the KO, wrote, “AJ wasn’t f***ing around.” It was from this angle in the clip that Rafael noted the fatal flaw that got Ngannou KO’ed. In boxing, when a boxer’s hand is neither fully guarding their face nor actively attacking, it’s called having your hands in ‘No Man’s Land’. This is what ended up happening with Ngannou, according to Rafael. These are basic defensive positions that amateur boxers are taught in the very beginning. Since Ngannou came from MMA, he never had the chance to get his boxing basics right.

It wasn’t a great night for Ngannou. In fact, he even praised the power of his opponent Anthony Joshua. He mentioned that he didn’t even feel any pain and was completely blacked out by the punch.

The Predator passed out from the punch

Francis Ngannou, reeling from a brutal knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, is mum on his next move. The 37-year-old Cameroonian-French stated he needs time to reflect on the shocking defeat before charting his path forward. An MMA return seems like a possibility, though Ngannou didn’t explicitly confirm it.

Read More: Beetlejuice Calls Out Anthony Joshua; Tells Him to Fight a “Real Boxer”

However, one thing’s for sure: the devastating loss has thrown a curveball into his fighting trajectory. So much so that, he couldn’t even comprehend for a long time that he was knocked out. He explained, “In fact, I didn’t feel the punch. I think that’s what the knockout is about. I don’t feel any pain. That’s how I know I was knocked out.”

What are your thoughts about this? Let us know in the comments section.

Also Read: Anthony Joshua Ready to Fight Tyson Fury in His “Back Garden”, Eyes Filip Hrgovic Title Fight