With Anthony Joshua set to defend his IBF and WBA heavyweight titles in Cardiff this weekend Jack Wynne takes a look at his five most explosive KOs:
Joshua v Emanuele Leo
Just over a year after becoming an Olympic champion, Joshua was set to make his professional debut at London’s O2 Arena against Emanuele Leo.
There was plenty of anticipation to see how the Londoner would handle the step up from the amateur ranks.
After 14 months away from the ring since that memorable bout at the ExCel the Watford-born fighter showed no sign of any nerves, stopping his Italian opponent inside the first round.
A blistering wave of punches saw Leo sent crashing to the canvas and the fight ended by the referee with two minutes and 47 seconds on the clock. (5.55 on the video)
Joshua v Charles Martin
15 fights after making his professional debut Joshua was given the chance to cement his status at world level with a match against IBF champion Charles Martin.
There were many that questioned whether it was too soon for Joshua after such a short amount of time in the pro ranks but the Briton continued to make waves in heavyweight boxing by, stopping Martin inside two rounds.
The American was on the receiving end of a fatal right-hand counter and despite momentarily rising to his feet, Joshua soon knocked him down again before the referee intervened.
There were concerns Martin might also be a tricky opponent because of his southpaw stance but that proved completely irrelevant during their bout at London’s O2 Arena.
Joshua v Gary Cornish
Billed as a significant step up in class compared with all his previous 13 opponents, Scotland’s Gary Cornish came into the bout for the vacant Commonwealth heavyweight title with a 21-fight unbeaten record.
The Inverness fighter started the contest with a real desire to take the fight to Joshua but soon realized the scale of the challenge after being floored by a sharp right hand.
Despite managing to rise to his feet it was only a matter of time before Joshua was crowned the new Commonwealth champion after another left saw Cornish sent flying to the ground once more.
Joshua v Dillian Whyte
After claiming the Commonwealth crown it was time to meet an old adversary in Dillian Whyte for the British title.
The fellow Londoner had beaten Joshua in the amateur ranks and was confident of repeating that feat now that the two were professional boxers.
Despite being rocked for the first time as a pro, Joshua soon recovered and replied with a lethal combination, catching Whyte with a right hook before landing a brutal uppercut which saw him collapse to the floor.
The contest, which took Joshua past three rounds for the first time his career, was great evidence of his ability to continue into the latter stages without running out of steam.
Joshua v Denis Bakhtov
The first silverware of Joshua’s professional career came thanks to an impressive stoppage victory over Russia’s Denis Bakhtov.
Nine years had passed without anyone being able to stop Bakhtov but Joshua soon ended that streak to claim the WBC international heavyweight title, securing a second-round stoppage.
Dubbed as his most durable opponent, Joshua once again demonstrated unrelenting power, bloodying the face of Bakhtov with a series of thumping right hooks and becoming the first man to stop him in 48 fights.
