In a career marked by delivering and enduring some of boxing’s most powerful punches, Anthony Joshua’s choice for the hardest punch he’s ever taken comes as a surprise. Reflecting on his extensive boxing journey, Joshua revealed that the most painful blow he endured was not in a professional bout, but during his amateur days.

Anthony Joshua, known for his dominance in the ring, faced his first significant challenge against Dillian Whyte in his fifteenth professional fight. Rocked but resilient, Joshua managed to turn the tide and stop Whyte, claiming the British title. This bout was a precursor to the epic war with Wladimir Klitschko, where Joshua experienced his first knockdown, a moment that led him to adopt a more cautious approach in his fights.

The stoppage loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 marked another pivotal point in Joshua’s career, followed by enduring sustained and precise blows from Oleksandr Usyk in their back-to-back encounters. Despite these tough professional battles, Joshua’s hardest punch memory dates back to the 2011 World Championships during his amateur career.

In an interview with Men’s Health, Joshua recounted the intense final against Azerbaijan’s Magomedrasul Majidov. “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 f**king 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.”

Majidov, the formidable opponent Joshua referred to, not only won the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships by defeating Joshua but also secured a Bronze Medal at the 2012 Olympics, where Joshua claimed Gold. Majidov went on to win Gold at the Amateur World Championships again in 2013 and 2017 before transitioning to the professional ranks under the promotion of Eddie Hearn in 2019. Despite winning his first three professional bouts by stoppage, Majidov’s career took a hit when he was knocked out in the first round by Russian Andrey Fedosov in 2021, and he hasn’t fought since.

As Joshua prepares for his return to the ring on September 21 against the hard-hitting Daniel Dubois, now elevated to world champion, the memory of that 2011 punch remains vivid. Joshua’s journey from that painful amateur experience to becoming a world-renowned professional boxer highlights his resilience and determination to rise above every challenge.