October 31, 2023
Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
Francis Ngannou’s spirited performance against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is reopening Pandora’s box even further of the carnival run of crossover clashes between boxers and MMA stars.
Ngannou knocked down Fury and was competitive throughout their 10-round bout, but Fury ultimately won the fight via split decision, outlanding the former UFC champion 71 to 59. Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn is now interested in being next in line to pit a fighter he promotes against Ngannou, calling for former heavyweight champion and Nigerian-Brit Anthony Joshua to challenge the Cameroonian-French Ngannou. Hearn is even reviving one of the most iconic promotional boxing slogans of all time, saying that an Ngannou-Joshua fight will be the second-coming of the “Rumble In The Jungle,” the iconic 1974 bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire.
“AJ against Francis Ngannou is absolutely massive, it’s massive. Two giants next to each other. Who knows what’s going to happen? I can’t even believe we’re debating this,” Hearn said on "The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani."
“The money for Francis Ngannou in boxing, he ain’t going back [to MMA]. The money that I know AJ against Ngannou could generate. A lot more than [Ngannou got against Fury]. “[Joshua] wasn’t [originally] interested in the gimmick fight when it was proposed to him. A lot of people’s perception pre-fight was that [Fury vs. Ngannou] was farcical.”
Ngannou’s solid showing during his pro debut has all of a sudden made him a power player in heavyweight boxing, as the public is interested in seeing more from the 37-year-old. Ngannou’s addition to the heavyweight picture and the big-money fights that can be made with him as a dance partner disrupts and divides the long-desired matchups that should be taking place instead.
Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is also negotiating to fight Ngannou. Instead of Hearn publicly calling to stage Joshua vs. Wilder or Joshua vs. Fury, he’s now doubling down on Joshua vs. Ngannou.
“We are now in the position where we’re debating if Francis Ngannou beats Anthony Joshua. Take my money, prove me wrong, and listen, [Ngannou] can punch, there’s no doubt,” said Hearn.
“Take my money, and I will show you what happens when Anthony Joshua fights Francis Ngannou. I said three rounds last Saturday, but I’ll be generous and say six rounds [for Joshua to beat Ngannou]. “I got to give him respect because [Ngannou] took a few shots early in the fight, and he seemed to take them well, with a good chin. It was a close fight. I felt he won the fight by one or two rounds, but still.”
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