What's It Like To Take A Punch From A Boxer?

Tonight, Anthony Joshua takes on Wladimir Klitschko in what's one of the most eagerly anticipated boxing fights of recent times.

Earlier in the year, David Haye and Tony Bellew met in the ring after what felt likes years of build up, with the Scouser coming out on top in the 11th round.

That bout had a different anticipation surrounding it, as people were interested to see which fighter could shut the other up, whereas Joshua and Klitschko is about who is technically better.

AJ has injected a huge amount of excitement into the sport for Brits, as you'd imagine given his perfect professional record of 18 knockouts in 18 fights. He's incredible to watch.

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The pair will meet in front of an expected 90,000 fans in London, a post-war record for a UK boxing match, with both expecting to come out on top. The Ukrainian described AJ as nothing more than 'a puncher'.

AJ responded by saying: "When I start punching you in your jaw, you best stand up to the power." But what is it like to take a punch from a heavyweight boxer?

Johnny Knoxville knows to a certain extent, as he once had a match with Eric 'Butterbean' Esch in a supermarket for Jackass. I say 'match', but it was basically just Knoxville being hit repeatedly.

Credit: Paramount/Jackass: The Movie

The effects are different for different areas of the body

Taking a body shot, for example, from a boxer will leave you gasping for air, almost feeling like your ribs and organs have closed in on themselves.

"At first it'll feel like going down a dip on a rollercoaster. However, when on a rollercoaster your body almost immediately returns to normal. With a punch it won't," Jack, a doctor from Manchester, told LADbible.

"Your body will try to find a way to comfort the pain, usually folding over and crouching down to try and breathe air into your lungs. Put simply, it's like being winded but to the extreme, for a lengthy period of time.

"It might feel like your ribs have broken, but they're just doing their best to protect your organs."

With the face, where the majority of people will take punches, it's a completely different story and is a lot more dangerous.

There's more than just pain when it comes to taking a hook to the head, as it literally rocks your brain.

"Immediately, you're stunned," Jack told LADbible. "Depending on the velocity of the hit you might get tunnel vision, lose all coordination and time feels like it's just skipped.

"Receiving a knockout blow will send you crashing to the ground, before coming to and not really knowing what's happened, looking around trying to gather your thoughts and work out what's gone on.

"Because the area where your brain is takes such a beating, it's tough for it to work normally. Depending on the punch it could take anywhere between a minute and a few hours to regain normal consciousness.

"In the aftermath there may be swelling around the area you've been punched, and especially around the jaw area it might lock up or become solid."

Not that you ever would, but just don't bother taking a punch from a boxer.

Topics: Anthony Joshua

Mark McGowan

Mark is a journalist at LADbible, who joined in 2015 after a year as a freelance writer. In the past he blogged for independent football fan channel Redmen TV, after graduating from Staffordshire University with degrees in journalism and English literature. He has worked on campaigns such as UOKM8? and IIOC.