HE’S NOT A NNOU KID NOW
After he stunned Fury with a knockdown, the world – and AJ – knows what Francis can do
FRANCIS NGANNOU has been here before. He has been the mixed martial artist chancing his arm at boxing.
He has been the plucky underdog whose principles saw him quit the UFC for a multi-million-pound pay day. But he no longer has the element of surprise.
Few in boxing gave him more than a puncher’s chance against Tyson Fury last October. Even those in MMA circles saw it as a well-deserved cash grab.
But within moments of the opening bell, eyebrows were raised and opinions quickly shifted.
Few believe Fury took Ngannou’s threat completely seriously; his flabby physique from that neardisastrous night is gone and replaced by a slimmed-down version.
Fury saw it as a money-making move-around while he waited to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed crown.
Ngannou took full advantage and was seconds away from changing the heavyweight landscape when he dropped Fury in the third round.
But even on his worst night, Fury recovered and rarely looked in trouble during the remaining rounds.
And in Joshua, Ngannou will face a different animal. One whose career has been reignited by the prospect of realising a career-long dream in becoming undisputed champion.
One whose reinvention under the eye of Fury’s ex-trainer Ben Davison even has optimistic pundits backing him in a potential third fight with Usyk.
Where Fury took his eye off the ball, Joshua appears to have left no stone unturned. That is the challenge which awaits Ngannou on Friday night.
“What intrigues me is whether Ngannou can be better than he was against Fury and whether he has learned from it,” says Fury’s promoter Frank Warren.
Ngannou has plenty of credit in the bank after his performance four months ago, but he must prove it was no fluke in order to cash in on his new-found boxing fame.
A heroic loser will only go so far at the cutthroat end of the heavyweight division.
Joshua will almost certainly hit harder than Fury and there are questions around the Cameroonian’s gas tank over what could be 10 frenetic rounds.
And if forewarned is forearmed, Joshua will take no chances in the opening rounds.
Where Fury entered the ring partially blind, his countryman has at least had invaluable footage to study.
But Ngannou (in
Saudi, right) has spent just half an hour in a professional boxing ring and has had little time to improve since his opening night.