Joshua fights Francis Ngannou on March 8 in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Instagram

Ngannou takes to the boxing ring for only the second timeCredit: AFP

And AJ is raring to go as he showed off his ripped body on social media with the caption: “Patiently waiting for the first bell to ring.”

It left fans stunned as one said: “Wow… Victory.”

Another added: “I feel sorry for Ngannou, he will feel the heat.”

Ngannou, 37, comes into only his second boxing bout having floored Tyson Fury, 35, on his debut in October.

He was controversially beaten on points, with Fury now fighting Oleksandr Usyk, 36, for the undisputed crown on February 17 in Saudi.

Joshua was due to meet Deontay Wilder until the American suffered a shock defeat to Joseph Parker.

So instead he steps in with Ngannou, with the winner in line to challenge either Fury or Usyk for the unified crown.

Joshua looked back to his best after hammering Otto Wallin, 32, in five rounds and credits new coach Ben Davison for the rejuvenation.

He said: “The reason I was able to gel with Ben is because he doesn’t try to change your style.

“He just kind of looks at your attributes and then adds to what you are good at.

“I got to a stage where I was trying to change my style — a bit of back-foot-boxing, boxing behind the jab, stick-and-move, not being explosive, controlling the pace and stuff like that.

“But Ben was like, ‘That’s not your body type. You’re a f***ing big unit, you’re explosive, go and f***ing knock people out’.

“Basically, work to your body type. So, we got along. He gets it.

“I am a power puncher. I break eye sockets. I broke Wallin’s nose and eye socket, Robert Helenius just got sparked out.

“I ruined Dillian Whyte’s career with an uppercut, the list goes on. Ngannou has to deal with me and that will make it a good fight.

“I will have a one-track mind, it will just be bam-bam-bam-bang.

“A good performance is a boring fight as the better fighter is totally dominant.

“I don’t want a slugfest, I don’t want to swap punches and think, ‘What the f*** am I supposed to do?’ I don’t want to take ten rounds to land a knockout shot.”

Joshua and Ngannou ahead of their March 8 fightCredit: Alamy