‘Even Oleksandr Usyk is looking at that saying f*** me’: Carl Frampton claims Anthony Joshua’s brutal knockout punch vs Francis Ngannou would have frightened the Ukrainian heavyweight

Carl Frampton has lauded Anthony Joshua for the devastating right-handed hook that knocked Francis Ngannou out on Friday night and believes it may have scared heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

It was only the second time the former UFC heavyweight champion had stepped into the ring for a professional boxing bout, after startling Tyson Fury back in October. 

But he was outclassed by the British fighter, who knocked him to the canvas three times in the first two rounds before claiming the win with a brutal punch.

Joshua will now look to set up a bout against Fury, who is due to take on the Ukrainian in a battle to become undisupted champion, but former boxer Frampton believes the British fighter’s display on Friday will have shocked the some in the heavyweight division. 

‘Even Usyk who beat AJ twice is looking at that and saying, “f*** me,”‘ Frampton, who held world championships across two weight classes, wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

Carl Frampton took to social media to laud Joshua for his brutal knockout punch on Ngannou

He claimed heavyweight champion, Usyk, who beat Joshua twice, would be shaken watching that punch back

He wasn’t the only one lauding the 34-year-old’s power, though, with fans on social media noticing Joshua had been practicing the same punch that knocked Ngannou out during his warm up. 

‘I didn’t see that coming. Exactly what he showed in the dressing room. Congrats AJ! Too easy!’

‘AJ was practicing that exact shot time and time again in the dressing room. Game plan played to perfection’ another wrote. 

Frampton wrote: ”Even Usyk who beat AJ twice is looking at that and saying, “f*** me,”‘

Anthony Joshua has claimed that he ‘should be the WBC heavyweight champion of the world’

Joshua said: ‘Francis Ngannou beat the WBC heavyweight champion of the world. I should be WBC heavyweight champion’

Fury, meanwhile, looked shell shocked after Joshua delivered his knockout blow, with the former heavyweight champion subsequently claiming he should be WBC champion instead of the Gypsy King. 

Joshua said: ‘Francis Ngannou beat the WBC heavyweight champion of the world. I should be WBC heavyweight champion of the world right now! He’s a great fighter’.