Anthony Joshua has taken some big licks in his professional boxing career, but one punch stands out to the former heavyweight champion.
From the beating he sustained at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr, the 24 rounds he shared with pound for pound great Oleksandr Usyk, the war he had against Wladimir Klitschko where he was hurt on numerous occasions and getting clipped by Russian dynamo Alexander Povetkin – ‘AJ’ had been on the receiving end of some heavy leather.
However, in a recent feature with Men’s Health when asked the most pain he ever felt in the ring, he revealed it was a punch he took in his amateur days which was one he will “never forget.”
“I remember a tough fight in 2011, the final of the World Championships against a fighter from Azerbaijan. He had knocked out everyone to get to the final, we had a real fucking tear-up, he was so strong.”
“I was inexperienced, making silly mistakes, and I walked on to one of his punches. Force meeting the force. Boom! I’ll never forget that punch. I lost by one point. So there was emotional pain and physical pain.”
The opponent Joshua is referring to was Azerbaijani amateur stalwart Mahammadrasul Majidov, who actually also turned professional with Eddie Hearn, though did not enjoy nearly the same level of success as the Brit.
If a fight between Joshua and Deontay Wilder ever does materialise, Majidov may be relegated to inflicting the second hardest punch ever landed on ‘AJ,’ so devastating is the power of Wilder.
However, despite assurances all year that the fight is “locked in,” talks appear to be at a complete standstill at the moment.
