CNN
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It was over before it really started in Saudi Arabia, with Anthony Joshua dropping Francis Nagano with a devastating knockout blow in the second round.
It was a much-needed win for the 34-year-old Briton, who has struggled to find his boxing best over the past few years. But the scene was like Joshua of old as he brutally passed his opponent in Riyadh.
Coming into the fight, there was a lot of excitement surrounding Nagano in his second professional boxing match.
The French-Cameroonian lives on in the UFC as heavyweight champion, but the veteran fighter wanted a change of scenery and moved from the octagon to the ring.
In his first professional fight against Tyson Fury dubbed the 'Battle of the Worst', he put on a good show with the audience amazed at how quickly he adapted to life as a boxer and how comfortable he was against one. Greatest heavyweights of all time.
However, this time was very different.
From the opening bell, Joshua asserted himself as the sport's newbie. In the first round, Joshua dropped his opponent with a straight right hand and immediately seized control in the Saudi capital.
Joshua came out swinging and Nagano was struggling more in the second round. Joshua's combination landed Nagano on the canvas again, this time the 37-year-old escaped the referee's count.
The match was all but over at this point, and seconds later, Joshua danced down the canvas and landed a dangerous right hand that sent Nagano sprawling.
“I want to be the WBC heavyweight champion of the world,” a defiant Joshua told reporters after the fight.
Ngannou was gracious in defeat when talking about the decisive blow and drew comparisons to Fury post-fight.
“He was special because he stopped me. He did what Tyson Fury couldn't do,” Ngannou told reporters.
Fury-Joshua is the fight that much of the boxing world wants to see, and after this win for Joshua, it feels like it's just around the corner.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, is confident of knowing who will win the fight.
“Everybody knows he knocked out Tyson Fury and I've always believed that's not in doubt now,” Hearn told Sky Sports after the fight.
