Joshua: Anthony Joshua's defeated victims tell Sky Sports about his powerful punch

Getting thumped in the face by Anthony Joshua would be, for most of us, the stuff of nightmares. There are 15 men who have felt that thunderous force, and some have shared their pain and their stories with Sky Sports.

One of those victims had their career ended by a damaging Joshua punch, another rates him above two heavyweight world champions that he has also boxed.

What they all have in common is the brutal conclusions to their fights against Joshua - yet they tell different horror stories about the enormity of the monster that will challenge for Charles Martin's IBF title on April 9, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

"I got a broken eye socket," said Matt Legg, who was crushed inside a round by a Joshua uppercut at Wembley Stadium two years ago and still hasn't returned.

"When I tried to get up I couldn't even see. I had three months of nerve damage in the side of my face. For two months I had no feeling, it was numb.

"He hits you through your gloves, even when you've got your hands up protecting your head," Legg said. "The power of his punches goes through your gloves, there's nowhere to hide.

"I fought James Toney when he was 45 and you could comfortably block his punches - when you block Anthony's they go through your gloves and still hurt you, so you have to get out of the way."

The power of his punches goes through your gloves, there's nowhere to hide.

Paul Butlin, Joshua's second opponent, had boxed Dereck Chisora, Johnathon Banks and Lucas Browne but they hadn't prepared him for the Olympian's power. "I've been in with the biggest lads in Europe," Butlin said. "But Joshua's power is horrible - if he hits you, you're gone, simple as that. It's sickening.

"The first jab he hit me with, I went back to the corner shaking my head. He caught me with an overhand right that gave me nine stitches."

But what if the big right hand doesn't land? In the land of the giants, plenty of heavyweight contenders have faltered when their primary weapon is deflected off target. Joshua's punch power has taken him past 15 opponents but critics insist he is just an Ancient Greek sculpture adorned with a pair of gloves.

Terrifyingly, the victims that have tasted Joshua's knockout punches shake their head when asked if he is merely a KO merchant.