Promoter Eddie Hearn acknowledges that Anthony Joshua will be encountering a larger opponent, Francis Ngannou, for the first time in his career. Their 10-round bout is scheduled for March 8th at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hearn expresses concerns about Joshua’s unfamiliarity with fighting someone bigger and the lack of available footage for him and his trainer Ben Davison to analyze.
In 2017, Joshua faced a critical moment when he fought against Wladimir Klitschko, who stood at 6’6″. Despite being dropped by Klitschko and on the verge of defeat, Joshua managed to continue the fight as Klitschko chose to box rather than deliver a knockout blow.
Ngannou, if given the opportunity, will not hold back. He will relentlessly pursue Joshua’s defeat, shattering his aspirations of facing the victor between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. This outcome would undoubtedly disappoint Hearn, but it is a consequence of his decision to shield Joshua from high-level competition following his consecutive losses to Usyk.
Hearn’s matchmaking strategies, designed to protect Joshua, have been criticized for their lack of challenge. However, these decisions are driven by business and financial considerations.
Discussing Joshua’s upcoming fight against Ngannou, Hearn states that there is still an element of uncertainty surrounding the challenge. While there is more knowledge about Ngannou compared to previous fights, there is only a limited amount of footage available for analysis. Hearn emphasizes that this will be the first time Joshua faces an opponent larger in size and mass. The prospect of two powerful fighters capable of delivering knockout blows is undoubtedly intriguing for spectators.
Hearn concludes by stating that the fight in Riyadh has the potential for knockout chaos and expresses his hope for a favorable outcome for Joshua.
According to the Source boxingnews24.com