Anthony Joshua had a change of heart regarding his bout with Francis Ngannou after witnessing Ngannou’s impressive performance against Tyson Fury last October. This fight, which almost resulted in Ngannou defeating the top-ranked heavyweight, altered Joshua’s perspective and convinced him that it is not merely a “gimmick” match.
Scheduled to take place on March 8th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) and Ngannou (0-1) will engage in a 10-round contest. Despite not facing one of the top contenders, Joshua cannot afford to decline this opportunity due to the high stakes involved.
The Saudis are eager for this showdown and have arranged it in a manner that will enable the winner to compete for the undisputed title. However, if Joshua emerges victorious, it may somewhat diminish the significance of the achievement, as it would mark his fourth consecutive fight against relatively weaker opponents following his consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
Circumstances can change, and so can one’s mindset. Joshua revealed, “They spoke about this fight before, and I said, ‘no, it’s a gimmick fight, it’s not something that I think is right — crossing over when I’m still chasing heavyweight glory.'” However, witnessing Ngannou’s recent bout with Wilder altered his perspective, leading him to accept the challenge.
It remains unknown whether Ngannou’s impressive performance against Fury was a result of the Gypsy King’s lack of dedication and insufficient training. Fury’s reliance on grappling, due to his advancing age, played into Ngannou’s strengths. Attempting to wrestle an ex-MMA fighter was not a wise move for Fury, but his age prevents him from fighting as he did in his younger years. Consequently, he had no choice but to engage in a physical battle with Ngannou, hoping for a favorable decision from the judges, which he ultimately received.
Joshua commented on his decision to face Ngannou, stating, “And then I think when they saw what happened with his last fight, the situation with Wilder, this opportunity presented itself. I never turned down a challenge, and I’m looking forward to it.”
The reaction from fans has been mixed regarding Joshua’s fight with Ngannou. Some believe that Ngannou was chosen due to his popularity in the MMA world, and they perceive this matchup as diluting the sport. On the other hand, supporters of this fight appreciate the idea of witnessing athletes from different sports competing against each other, finding it more entertaining than if Joshua were to face another boxer.
According to the Source boxingnews24.com