Anthony Joshua, the former two-time world heavyweight champion, has opened up about the hardest puncher he's faced in his 32-fight career.
In a resurfaced interview with Sky Sports, Joshua named Wladimir Klitschko as the boxer with the most powerful punch he's encountered. The British fighter faced Klitschko in 2016, winning the fight and unifying titles against the then 41-year-old veteran.
Joshua recalled the impact of Klitschko's punches vividly. He told Sky Sports:
"What it is with Wlad [Klitschko], he hit me with a right hand in the first round and I said 'boy oh boy.' This guy's got enough power, do you when they know you out for ten minutes and they've got the commentator saying 'I think he should retire, I've never seen a knockout like this before!' He had the power to just go bang, not stumble you like what Dillian [Whyte] did, but knock you out for 10 minutes, Klitschko through and through had the biggest punch. What did he have on his record? 54 knockouts or something? The man can definitely punch."
Klitschko's career stats back up Joshua's assessment. The Ukrainian boxer racked up 53 knockouts in his 64 wins, with notable KO victories over Francois Botha, Ray Mercer, and Hasim Rahman. Alongside his brother Vitali, Wladimir dominated the heavyweight division for about a decade.
Klitschko retired in 2017 after his final fight against Joshua, which ended in an 11th round TKO loss. The fight marked the end of an era in heavyweight boxing.
Punching power often sticks around even as other skills fade. George Foreman showed this when he reclaimed the world heavyweight title at 46, knocking out Michael Moorer to become the oldest man to win the heavyweight crown - a record he still holds.
Joshua's recent bout with Daniel Dubois for the IBF crown ended in a 5th round stoppage loss, with Joshua suffering a couple of early knockdowns. While there were initial talks of an immediate rematch, Joshua can't make Dubois' preferred February 2025 date due to minor injuries.
