Francis Ngannou is looking to prove it wasn’t a fluke when he floored Tyson Fury late, last year. He may have gone on to lose the fight, but he seemed to win the event.
Now, the former UFC world champion will face the former two-time unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua, on March 8, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The pay-per-view bout is titled ‘Knockout Chaos’.
Chaos was the theme of the press conference as it seemed to be all over the place.
One of the key points is that Ngannou, a boxing novice, seems to be a bit tired of the boxing media writing him off. In his last bout, he gave Tyson Fury a hard fight. Ngannou dropped Fury and lost a close split decision.
Now he enters a fight with Anthony Joshua seemingly with a grudge.
“I have been sitting here listening to people talking, even Eddie [Hearn] praising me, which I appreciate that,” said Ngannou. “At the same time, I am not sure if he is honest or if he wants to get me sleep on his guy. Which that is not going to happen. I am just a beginner out here, [who] is going to train really hard, and come as the underdog to win the fight.”
Ngannou seemed to target the media and boxing purists who labeled him ‘just a beginner’, as defined himself as that with a sly smile. Ngannou also made mention of Joshua’s ability to take a punch speaking rather bluntly.
“Yes, I have heard he doesn't have a chin, I am not sure if it is true or not. I hope have an opportunity to test that out, that is my wish.”
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, had nothing but praise for Ngannou. Given Deontay Wilder’s loss to Joseph Parker, Ngannou serves as a big-name fighter to bring in both hardcore and casual interest to a ‘mega-fight’. Hearn nearly blushed when speaking of Ngannou’s development as a fighter.
“He may be unlikely that he is not the world lineal champion in his professional debut,” said Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua’s promoter. “This is a dream opportunity for the sport of boxing."
The hidden man behind Ngannou’s success, Dewey Cooper, is one who is not known to say a lot. He kept it cryptic but also uttered strong words.
Cooper sent a stern warning to Joshua.
“The flaming fist of Francis Ngannou will finish Anthony Joshua,” he said.
