‘Joshua’s fight against Ngannou not ideal preparation for world title’
ANTHONY Joshua will convincingly beat Francis Ngannou but that fight might not be the ideal preparation for a world title challenge, says Frazer Clarke.
Joshua has agreed a fight against Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a reported date of Friday March 8. Ngannou emerged with credit after flooring Tyson Fury in a split decision loss in October, but Olympic bronze medallist Clarke, a regular sparring partner for Joshua, has questioned whether the 34-year-old has chosen a suitable opponent.
“The good thing is about that one [Ngannou], we’ve already had a look at him now,” Clarke told Sky Sports.
“Before Fury was like the tester. He had to get in there when he wasn’t quite sure and neither were we about what he was going to get.
“I think he [Joshua] can beat him and can beat him well.
“If the world title is your aim, then I would probably say you’ll want a more competitive name on your resume to get back to that stage.
“You’ve been at the top, you’ve come down a bit, and you’ve now just fought Otto Wallin to bridge the gap. Maybe you need to bridge the gap again to the next level up to get you ready for the world titles. I’m not sure if Ngannou is that?
“Saying that he had a good performance against Fury, but then again, what does it come down to? I hate having this conversation with people, because it’s not what people want to hear, but pound notes is a massive thing in boxing and I think ultimately that will do the talking.”
Zhilei Zhang’s team confirmed he was also in talks to face Joshua, but Clarke believes the Chinese contender would be a very dangerous proposition after his back-to-back stoppage wins over Joe Joyce.
“He’s going to be the one most avoided now, if I’m honest,” said Clarke. “I think he’s an absolute nightmare for a lot of fighters.
“He’s a huge problem, he’s a nightmare in the division.
“I don’t think we’ll see Anthony Joshua in the ring with him any time soon, unless it’s for a world title in China.
“If anyone has got any brains about them, they’ll learn from Joe Joyce’s mistakes.” —