Best of Boxing in 2024: Anthony Joshua throttles Francis Ngannou to claim Knockout of the Year
Written by CBS SPORTS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on December 31, 2024
For all the artistry at the elite levels of boxing, the footwork and defense, the crisp combinations and pinpoint jabs, there’s nothing quite like a knockout. To see a boxer’s consciousness separated from their body by a thunderous shot is arguably the most visceral moment in all of sports.
2024 was a year that delivered some particularly violent knockouts, many of which came on the sport’s biggest stages. While there were epic KOs across all weight classes, the heavyweights stole the show this year.
Our panel of CBS Sports experts sat down, debated and cast our votes for Knockout of the Year. Let’s take a look at the results.
Winner: Anthony Joshua def. Francis Ngannou
Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, made a big splash in his boxing debut, knocking down Tyson Fury en route to a narrow split decision loss. His follow-up fight did not go nearly as well.
To his credit, Ngannou didn’t take a step down in competition after the Fury fight, instead taking on another elite fighter in two-time former unified champion Joshua. Joshua’s skills simply proved to be too much for Ngannou and it was clear from the opening moments that Joshua could end things at any time.
After dropping Ngannou in the opening round, Joshua scored his second knockdown with a heavy right hand in Round 2 before putting away Ngannou for good seconds later with a bomb of an overhand right. The result was a reminder that Joshua may have been passed by the likes of Fury and Oleksandr Usyk at the top of the heavyweight division, but he remains a dangerous man.
Honorable Mentions
Daniel Dubois def. Anthony Joshua
Talk about a crazy year of highs and lows for Joshua, which culminated in not only the British star delivering the KO of the year in March, but he ended up on the business end of 2024’s second-best display of brutal power.
Dubois, who had stopped Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller in December 2023, continued his career resurgence in June by handing Filip Hrgovic his first career defeat in an eighth-round TKO that saw the native of London capture the vacant IBF heavyweight title that was stripped from undisputed champion Oleksandr Uysk. But just three months later, his shootout with Joshua only added to Dubois’ new persona as one of the most feared finishers in the sport.
In front of a record-breaking U.K. crowd of 96,000 at London’s Wembley Stadium, Dubois attacked Joshua quite literally off the opening bell to deliver four devastating knockdowns over five rounds. It was the final one, however, that will be remembered for many years to come.
Just when it looked like a battle-tested AJ might be rallying in Round 5 by hurting Dubois with a perfect counter right hand before backing him into a corner, the 6-foot-5 destroyer uncorked a violent right-hand counter of his own which caught Joshua flush on the chin and left him unable to regain his feet before being counted out.
Zhilel Zhang def. Deontay Wilder
Angered by what he felt was an incorrect trio of scorecards following his majority decision loss to former champion Joseph Parker in March, the 6-foot-6 Zhang, a pulverizing southpaw from China, made sure his next opponent would pay.
Zhang, 41, squared off in Riyadh just three months later against faded, 39-year-old former champion Deontay Wilder, who was looking to shake off the stain from his own lifeless decision loss to Parker seven months earlier. But Wilder, to his detriment, looked lost against Zhang and never quite appeared to have his legs under him.
But Wilder came to life a bit in Round 5 as he began to uncork a series of patented right hands to put Zhang in real danger. But as Wilder landed a stiff right cross late in the round, he was countered by an even shorter right hand from Zhang, which caused Wilder to spin around theatrically while being wobbled on his feet.
As Wilder looked to regain his balance with his hands down, Zhang took full advantage with a running right hand that Wilder never saw cleanly. Even though Wilder was able to make it back up to his feet, his legs were gone and the fight was mercifully stopped.
Others receiving votes
Osleys Iglesias def. Evgeny Shvedenko
Terence Williams def. Jonathon Ariel Sosa
Lucas Bahdi def. Ashton Sylve
KVSP