Tyson Fury: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson ‘a really good spectacle for boxing’

Contrary to most, Tyson Fury likes the matchup between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.

Contrary to most, [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] likes the matchup between [autotag]Mike Tyson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag].

Boxing legend Tyson (50-6) will be 58 when he faces 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-pro boxer Paul (9-1) on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event will stream live on Netflix.

WBC heavyweight champion Fury thinks a fight like this will only help bring more eyes to the sport.

“I think it’s fantastic for boxing,” Fury said on The Stomping Ground. “You’ve got a legend in Mike Tyson, you’ve got a YouTube boxer who’s come into the game and blew it up, and he’s got millions of followers and millions of views and millions of eyes – good, bad or indifferent. Some people love him, some people hate him.

“I think it’s a really good spectacle for boxing – brings a lot of people to the game. Listen, who am I to say, ‘Oh, Mike Tyson shouldn’t be boxing,’ or ‘Jake Paul shouldn’t be boxing’? Good luck to them. They’re both going to make what I call a sh*t-ton of money out of it.”

The age difference has caused outrage from many notable names in combat sports. Tyson hasn’t competed since battling Roy Jones Jr. to a draw in their exhibition boxing match in November 2020 – his first fight in 15 years. Despite Paul being the younger and far more active fighter, Fury says we can’t forget Tyson’s accolades.

“It’d be fantastic for the guys, both getting paid, both going to put on a show – I just don’t know what’s not to like,” Fury said. “Oh, OK, (Tyson’s) 57 years old, but he’s a former undisputed world heavyweight king. And (Paul) plays computers for a living, and he’s come to boxing about a year ago, so pretty even match. … People say, ‘Oh, it’s sh*t,’ this, that and the other. But I’ll bet they still watch it. Who’s not intrigued?”

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For more on the fight, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Paul vs. Tyson.

Tyson Fury: Deontay Wilder punches harder than Francis Ngannou ‘by a mile’

Tyson Fury still views Deontay Wilder as the most powerful puncher he’s ever faced.

[autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] still views [autotag]Deontay Wilder[/autotag] as the most powerful puncher he’s ever faced.

Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) was knocked down in Round 12 of his WBC heavyweight title fight with Wilder in 2018, when he miraculously got up after being rendered flat on his back motionless. The pair battled to a split draw, but Fury was able to close out their chapter when he finished Wilder by TKO in their rematch and by KO in their trilogy bout.

Fury was also knocked down in his boxing match vs. former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] last October, but he rallied to win by controversial split decision. Fury says there’s no comparison when rating his former foes’ punching power.

“Deontay, by far,” Fury said on “The Stomping Ground.” “Francis Ngannou is a big puncher, but I wasn’t really troubled by any of his punches. It wasn’t like it was dynamite every time he hit me and I was wobbled or anything, no. Just one shot to the back of the head, and that was it. So, Wilder is still the biggest puncher I’ve ever been in the ring with, by a mile.”

WBC heavyweight champion Fury will face Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs), who holds the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles, in an undisputed championship fight May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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Like boxing? Be sure to visit Boxing Junkie for all your coverage of the sweet science and follow @BoxingJunkie2 on Twitter.

Great Eight: Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Bam Rodriguez would be rare champ vs. champ

Great Eight: A potential matchup between Juan Francisco Estrada and Bam Rodriguez would pit two champions against one another.

The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine the cream of the boxing crop.

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBA and WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

In this installment of “Great Eight,” we explore the possibility of an intriguing development: Two of our champions — Juan Francisco Estrada (bantamweight) and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (flyweight) — are in talks to fight one another.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said he’s trying to close a deal for the fighters to meet for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.

The principals are at different stages of their careers.

Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) is a two-division champion who has shown no signs of decline — he’s coming off a second victory in his third fight against future Hall of Famer Roman Gonzalez — but he’s 33 and has been fighting professionally for 15-plus years.

The Mexican also hasn’t been active. The second victory over Gonzalez took place in December 2022 and he hasn’t fought since. He had been in talks to face fellow titleholder Kazuto Ioka last December but negotiations broke down.

Estrada has won eight consecutive fights since he lost a majority decision to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2018, a setback he later avenged.

Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) is a rising star. The 24-year-old Texan has reeled off one spectacular victory after another to join Estrada on many credible pound-for-pound lists, including Boxing Junkie’s.

He made a strong impression by outpointing veteran Carlos Cuadras to win a vacant 115-pound title in February 2022 and then knocked out the equally respected Sor Rungvisai in eight rounds in his first defense four months later.

And he was just getting started. He delivered what might be his best performance last December, when, after dropping down to 112 and winning a major belt, he stopped previously unbeaten Sunny Edwards to unify two titles.

“This is a fight we’ve been working on for a long time,” Hearn told DAZN. “I think Estrada against Bam Rodriguez is just a stunner. You keep seeing these small guys give us unbelievable nights.

“Estrada against “Chocolatito” (Roman Gonzalez) so many times, Bam against Sunny [Edwards] last December was incredible, and Estrada against Bam is just a Fight of the Year contender written all over it.”

It would be difficult to argue with Hearn on that point. It doesn’t get much better than one of the best fighters of the generation vs. one of the most exciting young phenoms in the game

And, of course, it would have major implications in terms of Great Eight.

If the fight happens and Estrada wins, he would add to his own Hall of Fame credentials and remain as bantamweight champion here. Rodriguez would become champion in a second Great Eight division if he has his hand raised.

Rodriguez hasn’t said definitively that he’s finished at 112 but that appears to be the case.

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – Fury will have a chance to prove his subpar performance against Francis Ngannou was an aberration when he faces Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship on pay-per-view May 18 in Saudi Arabia. Of course, the winner will be our Great Eight champ.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) – The winner of the Bivol-Beterbiev showdown on June 1 will determine not only the Great Eight champion but also the best 175-pounder of the era. Few possible matchups in boxing are better or more significant than this one.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pounder came up short against 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez but he remains the best at 160 and 154. He had expressed interest in facing welterweight king Terence Crawford but that doesn’t appear to be in the works, leaving his future uncertain..

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford hasn’t fought since his epic beat down of Errol Spence Jr. last July and has nothing solid in the works. One potential opponent would be Israil Madrimov, who stopped Magomed Kurbanov to win a 154-pound title on May 8.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – “Tank” remains the most-complete fighter at 135 and 130 but boxing wizards Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko might have something to say about who reigns in Great Eight before all is said and done. Now we need to see these pivotal matchups.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) – Inoue gave another dominating performance against Marlon Tapales on Dec. 26, stopping the Filipino in the 10th round to become undisputed champion in a second weight class. Can anyone compete with him? Luis Nery will be the next one to try. They meet on May 6.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – Boxing Junkie’s No. 5 fighter pound-for-pound had hinted that he might move up from junior bantamweight to bantamweight but an explosive potential matchup with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez at 115 might keep him in his current division.

FLYWEIGHT

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) – Rodriguez supplanted Edwards as champion here after leaving no doubt about who is the best 112-pounder in the world. He’ll almost certainly be replaced if he signs a contract to challenge Estrada at 115 pounds.

[lawrence-related id=40833,38568,34591,34576,34548,40358,40221,40204,40190,40137]

Great Eight: Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Bam Rodriguez would be rare champ vs. champ

Great Eight: A potential matchup between Juan Francisco Estrada and Bam Rodriguez would pit two champions against one another.

The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine the cream of the boxing crop.

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBA and WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

In this installment of “Great Eight,” we explore the possibility of an intriguing development: Two of our champions — Juan Francisco Estrada (bantamweight) and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (flyweight) — are in talks to fight one another.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said he’s trying to close a deal for the fighters to meet for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.

The principals are at different stages of their careers.

Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) is a two-division champion who has shown no signs of decline — he’s coming off a second victory in his third fight against future Hall of Famer Roman Gonzalez — but he’s 33 and has been fighting professionally for 15-plus years.

The Mexican also hasn’t been active. The second victory over Gonzalez took place in December 2022 and he hasn’t fought since. He had been in talks to face fellow titleholder Kazuto Ioka last December but negotiations broke down.

Estrada has won eight consecutive fights since he lost a majority decision to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2018, a setback he later avenged.

Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) is a rising star. The 24-year-old Texan has reeled off one spectacular victory after another to join Estrada on many credible pound-for-pound lists, including Boxing Junkie’s.

He made a strong impression by outpointing veteran Carlos Cuadras to win a vacant 115-pound title in February 2022 and then knocked out the equally respected Sor Rungvisai in eight rounds in his first defense four months later.

And he was just getting started. He delivered what might be his best performance last December, when, after dropping down to 112 and winning a major belt, he stopped previously unbeaten Sunny Edwards to unify two titles.

“This is a fight we’ve been working on for a long time,” Hearn told DAZN. “I think Estrada against Bam Rodriguez is just a stunner. You keep seeing these small guys give us unbelievable nights.

“Estrada against “Chocolatito” (Roman Gonzalez) so many times, Bam against Sunny [Edwards] last December was incredible, and Estrada against Bam is just a Fight of the Year contender written all over it.”

It would be difficult to argue with Hearn on that point. It doesn’t get much better than one of the best fighters of the generation vs. one of the most exciting young phenoms in the game

And, of course, it would have major implications in terms of Great Eight.

If the fight happens and Estrada wins, he would add to his own Hall of Fame credentials and remain as bantamweight champion here. Rodriguez would become champion in a second Great Eight division if he has his hand raised.

Rodriguez hasn’t said definitively that he’s finished at 112 but that appears to be the case.

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – Fury will have a chance to prove his subpar performance against Francis Ngannou was an aberration when he faces Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship on pay-per-view May 18 in Saudi Arabia. Of course, the winner will be our Great Eight champ.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) – The winner of the Bivol-Beterbiev showdown on June 1 will determine not only the Great Eight champion but also the best 175-pounder of the era. Few possible matchups in boxing are better or more significant than this one.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pounder came up short against 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez but he remains the best at 160 and 154. He had expressed interest in facing welterweight king Terence Crawford but that doesn’t appear to be in the works, leaving his future uncertain..

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford hasn’t fought since his epic beat down of Errol Spence Jr. last July and has nothing solid in the works. One potential opponent would be Israil Madrimov, who stopped Magomed Kurbanov to win a 154-pound title on May 8.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – “Tank” remains the most-complete fighter at 135 and 130 but boxing wizards Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko might have something to say about who reigns in Great Eight before all is said and done. Now we need to see these pivotal matchups.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) – Inoue gave another dominating performance against Marlon Tapales on Dec. 26, stopping the Filipino in the 10th round to become undisputed champion in a second weight class. Can anyone compete with him? Luis Nery will be the next one to try. They meet on May 6.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – Boxing Junkie’s No. 5 fighter pound-for-pound had hinted that he might move up from junior bantamweight to bantamweight but an explosive potential matchup with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez at 115 might keep him in his current division.

FLYWEIGHT

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) – Rodriguez supplanted Edwards as champion here after leaving no doubt about who is the best 112-pounder in the world. He’ll almost certainly be replaced if he signs a contract to challenge Estrada at 115 pounds.

[lawrence-related id=40833,38568,34591,34576,34548,40358,40221,40204,40190,40137]

Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua embarrassed Francis Ngannou AND Tyson Fury with one KO

Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua embarrassed Francis Ngannou AND Tyson Fury on Friday in Saudi Arabia.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER AND LOSER
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury must’ve have been embarrassed on Friday night.

Anthony Joshua did what his countryman should’ve done when Fury fought Francis Ngannou in October, which was to demonstrate that an MMA fighter without boxing experience has no business in the ring with a top heavyweight.

Fury survived a knockdown to eke out a pathetic split decision victory in Saudi Arabia. Joshua annihilated Ngannou in the same country, dropping the Cameroonian three times and stopping him in the second round to build on his momentum and restore some honor to the sport.

The difference between Fury and Joshua in their respective fights with Ngannou?

Not complicated: Fury wasn’t professional, Joshua was.

Fury wasn’t prepared – mentally or physically, it seemed — when he stepped into the ring to face Ngannou, who had some experience in the gym early in his combat sports career but was making his professional boxing debut.

The WBC titleholder obviously thought he could defeat Ngannou just by showing up, a notion shared by many. That’s not how it’s done, however. Not even against a rookie.

Fury rallied from a third-round knockdown to outpoint Ngannou, a decision that wasn’t controversial if you understand how scoring works. However, the competitive nature of the bout was mortifying for both Fury and boxing.

Joshua clearly prepared for his meeting with Ngannou as he would any big fight. When he stepped through the ropes, he was at his best. And the former two-time champion’s best was far too good for Ngannou.

Many of those who care about boxing probably had the same thought after they celebrated the slaughter: Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) should’ve done exactly the same thing against Ngannou.

The fact he didn’t, the fact he struggled merely to have his hand raised against a newbie is a blot on his resume. It also changed my perception of him. I had predicted that he would beat the crafty, but much smaller Oleksandr Usyk handily when they meet for the undisputed championship on May 18, also in Saudi Arabia

Now I’m not so sure. Now I see it as a 50-50 fight, which shouldn’t be the case given Fury’s ability and massive size advantage.

Of course, the blessing for Fury is that he has a golden opportunity to redeem himself immediately, as a victory over Usyk would do. We’ll see which Fury shows up: the wonderfully athletic, skillful behemoth of the past or the disappointment who fell flat against Ngannou.

Meanwhile, Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is on a tear. He’s now 4-0 since his back-to-back setbacks against Usyk in 2021 and 2022 — including consecutive knockouts of Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and now Ngannou — and bursting with confidence.

I and many others thought Joshua was in the last throes of his elite career after the Usyk losses. Now I have had to rethink that notion, too. The way he has performed of late has me convinced that the 34-year-old once again has the tools to beat anyone in the game.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

I don’t mean to be too hard on Ngannou. He deserves credit for his performance against Fury. He, unlike Fury, trained to be at his best and that paid off in the form of a strong performance. However, Joshua proved that a fighter with limited boxing skills and experience can only accomplish so much. I hope Ngannou doesn’t go away, however. I’d like to see how he does against second-tier heavyweights – if he’s willing to fight them — and whether he has another surprise in him. … Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) is another fighter who proved me wrong. I thought the Kiwi was finished after he had two tough fights against Derek Chisora in 2021 and was knocked out by Joe Joyce in September 2022. The 32-year-old former beltholder has won five consecutive fights since the setback, including decisions over Deontay Wilder in December and Zhilei Zhang on the Joshua-Ngannou undercard in his last two fights to reestablish himself as a genuine title contender. He nearly shutout Wilder and deserved better than a majority decision over Zhang, who was coming off back-to-back knockouts of Joyce. The fact Parker had to overcome two knockouts to beat his Chinese counterpart only added to the significance of the victory. Fans love a fighter who overcomes adversity to have his or her hand raised. Make no mistake: Parker is back. …

Can Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) bounce back in his 40s? He established himself as a heavyweight to be reckoned with by stopping Joyce twice. However, his performance on Friday was a significant step backward. He didn’t show much against a good, experienced boxer aside from the two punches that put Parker down. I imagine he won’t walk away now, though. The knockouts against Joyce are still fresh in his mind. And he did lose a competitive decision to Parker. … I get why people were aghast over the announcement that Jake Paul will face 57-year-old Mike Tyson in what evidently will be an exhibition July 20 at AT&T Stadium near Dallas. It has freak show written all over it. At the same time, it makes perfect sense from a business standpoint. Paul and Tyson stand to make untold millions for dancing around the ring for a few rounds because many people worldwide will find value in the event. How many of us, if we had their abilities, wouldn’t do the same thing? Be honest.

[lawrence-related id=41046,41039,41033]

Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua embarrassed Francis Ngannou AND Tyson Fury with one KO

Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua embarrassed Francis Ngannou AND Tyson Fury on Friday in Saudi Arabia.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER AND LOSER
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury must’ve have been embarrassed on Friday night.

Anthony Joshua did what his countryman should’ve done when Fury fought Francis Ngannou in October, which was to demonstrate that an MMA fighter without boxing experience has no business in the ring with a top heavyweight.

Fury survived a knockdown to eke out a pathetic split decision victory in Saudi Arabia. Joshua annihilated Ngannou in the same country, dropping the Cameroonian three times and stopping him in the second round to build on his momentum and restore some honor to the sport.

The difference between Fury and Joshua in their respective fights with Ngannou?

Not complicated: Fury wasn’t professional, Joshua was.

Fury wasn’t prepared – mentally or physically, it seemed — when he stepped into the ring to face Ngannou, who had some experience in the gym early in his combat sports career but was making his professional boxing debut.

The WBC titleholder obviously thought he could defeat Ngannou just by showing up, a notion shared by many. That’s not how it’s done, however. Not even against a rookie.

Fury rallied from a third-round knockdown to outpoint Ngannou, a decision that wasn’t controversial if you understand how scoring works. However, the competitive nature of the bout was mortifying for both Fury and boxing.

Joshua clearly prepared for his meeting with Ngannou as he would any big fight. When he stepped through the ropes, he was at his best. And the former two-time champion’s best was far too good for Ngannou.

Many of those who care about boxing probably had the same thought after they celebrated the slaughter: Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) should’ve done exactly the same thing against Ngannou.

The fact he didn’t, the fact he struggled merely to have his hand raised against a newbie is a blot on his resume. It also changed my perception of him. I had predicted that he would beat the crafty, but much smaller Oleksandr Usyk handily when they meet for the undisputed championship on May 18, also in Saudi Arabia

Now I’m not so sure. Now I see it as a 50-50 fight, which shouldn’t be the case given Fury’s ability and massive size advantage.

Of course, the blessing for Fury is that he has a golden opportunity to redeem himself immediately, as a victory over Usyk would do. We’ll see which Fury shows up: the wonderfully athletic, skillful behemoth of the past or the disappointment who fell flat against Ngannou.

Meanwhile, Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is on a tear. He’s now 4-0 since his back-to-back setbacks against Usyk in 2021 and 2022 — including consecutive knockouts of Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and now Ngannou — and bursting with confidence.

I and many others thought Joshua was in the last throes of his elite career after the Usyk losses. Now I have had to rethink that notion, too. The way he has performed of late has me convinced that the 34-year-old once again has the tools to beat anyone in the game.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

I don’t mean to be too hard on Ngannou. He deserves credit for his performance against Fury. He, unlike Fury, trained to be at his best and that paid off in the form of a strong performance. However, Joshua proved that a fighter with limited boxing skills and experience can only accomplish so much. I hope Ngannou doesn’t go away, however. I’d like to see how he does against second-tier heavyweights – if he’s willing to fight them — and whether he has another surprise in him. … Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) is another fighter who proved me wrong. I thought the Kiwi was finished after he had two tough fights against Derek Chisora in 2021 and was knocked out by Joe Joyce in September 2022. The 32-year-old former beltholder has won five consecutive fights since the setback, including decisions over Deontay Wilder in December and Zhilei Zhang on the Joshua-Ngannou undercard in his last two fights to reestablish himself as a genuine title contender. He nearly shutout Wilder and deserved better than a majority decision over Zhang, who was coming off back-to-back knockouts of Joyce. The fact Parker had to overcome two knockouts to beat his Chinese counterpart only added to the significance of the victory. Fans love a fighter who overcomes adversity to have his or her hand raised. Make no mistake: Parker is back. …

Can Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) bounce back in his 40s? He established himself as a heavyweight to be reckoned with by stopping Joyce twice. However, his performance on Friday was a significant step backward. He didn’t show much against a good, experienced boxer aside from the two punches that put Parker down. I imagine he won’t walk away now, though. The knockouts against Joyce are still fresh in his mind. And he did lose a competitive decision to Parker. … I get why people were aghast over the announcement that Jake Paul will face 57-year-old Mike Tyson in what evidently will be an exhibition July 20 at AT&T Stadium near Dallas. It has freak show written all over it. At the same time, it makes perfect sense from a business standpoint. Paul and Tyson stand to make untold millions for dancing around the ring for a few rounds because many people worldwide will find value in the event. How many of us, if we had their abilities, wouldn’t do the same thing? Be honest.

[lawrence-related id=41046,41039,41033]

Tyson Fury wore a suit with a title belt pattern at Ngannou-Joshua to remind everyone he’s the champ

Tyson Fury sent a clear message with his attire at the Ngannou-Joshua fight.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and boxing star Anthony Joshua are set to square off in what will be the second fight of Ngannou’s boxing career on Friday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Tyson Fury, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, defeated Ngannou via split decision in his first professional fight last October. He’s vowed to fight both Ngannou and Joshua before he retires, and when he arrived at Kingdom Arena for the fight, he was wearing a clear reminder that he’s the champion.

Fury donned a suit featuring a pattern comprised of different championship belts, a fitting look for the 35-year-old boxer who has held his title since 2020.

Both Ngannou and Joshua may get the chance to take that title away from Fury in the near future, but for now, he gets to watch the fight with bragging rights on his side.

Francis Ngannou details ‘argument’ with Tyson Fury at Turki Al-Sheikh’s residence: ‘I was very calm’

Francis Ngannou offered his side of the story after a confrontation with Tyson Fury at Turki Al-Sheikh’s residence before Friday’s bout.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] added another layer to their rivalry before the former UFC heavyweight champ’s return to the boxing ring on Friday against Anthony Joshua.

With Ngannou vs. Joshua fight week in full swing, a group was invited to the residence of Turki Al-Sheikh on Tuesday that included Eddie Hearn, both headliners, co-headliners Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker, as well as Fury.

There’s a consistent story told by many who witnessed it, that Fury walked in and immediately confronted Ngannou to kick off a spirited and tense conversation over the result of their October bout, which Fury won by controversial split decision. On Wednesday, Ngannou shared his side of how it unfolded.

“When we met, he said I called him a coward and I said, ‘Wow, where did you hear that from? I never made that statement about anybody. I never called anybody a coward, unless you’re really a coward,'” Ngannou told MMA Junkie and other reporters in a media scrum. “But I don’t care to call a man that steps in the ring to fight another man, a coward.’

“He said, ‘Yeah, you said you beat me.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I did beat you – that doesn’t mean I called you a coward. But I did beat you.’ Then he was like, ‘Why does your record say 0-1?’ I’m like, ‘Well, if it’s about the record, I really start to doubt now if what your record says is true, because I did beat you.’ Then I think the argument was about that. I had to ask him like, ‘In fact, why did your fight get postponed from December to February?’ He said he got cut. I asked, ‘Did you slip on the floor or something?’ No, he didn’t slip. Why did you find yourself on the floor in the fight? You didn’t slip. I had my statement to make.”

Ngannou said he was unbothered by the entire saga, but it continued at the pre-fight press conference when Fury was heckling Ngannou from the front row. Ngannou snapped back, and although it’s clear Fury rubbed him the wrong way, “The Predator” said it’s all about his personal desire to get that rematch and fight for a definitive result.

“Either way, for me, it wasn’t a problem,” Ngannou said. “It wouldn’t be a problem if someone thought they had a win over me in competition. If it goes to decision, people have the right to believe they won or the judges got it wrong. It seems for him to be a problem. I said, ‘Either way, we don’t have to sort this out now.’ We will run it back. He better be ready because I will be ready. He will not be my first battle anymore and I’m going to bring everything that I have with me and I’m going to throw it all.

“I was very calm. I told him, ‘The only moment that you have a chance is in the boxing ring.’ The only chance he has is when the boxing rules apply.”

For more on the fight, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Joshua vs. Ngannou

Francis Ngannou trashes Tyson Fury: Without boxing rules, ‘you are nothing in front of me’

Francis Ngannou put Tyson Fury in his place after his former foe heckled him during Wednesday’s press conference with Anthony Joshua.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] put [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] in his place at Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference for his looming bout with Anthony Joshua.

After Ngannou and Fury got into a heated verbal exchange Tuesday night at Turki Al-Sheikh’s residence, the tension between the pair continued during the pre-fight press conference. Fury was seated front row and was heckling while Ngannou answered questions. and that prompted the former UFC heavyweight champ to issue a fiery response.

Ngannou reminded Fury that he was the only one to score a knockdown in their October bout, which Fury won by controversial split decision. Ngannou expects to run it back one day, and when he does, he doesn’t intend to leave anything to chance.

“I had the first one over him, and I still need to have the second one – it’s true,” Ngannou said. “You’re going to sleep in the (ring) again, and I’m going to wipe the ring with your ass again. You wiped the ring with your ass. There was blood in the ring, sticking to your pants.”

As the exchange continued, Ngannou reminded Fury that the only reason he has confidence is because any fights between them will be under boxing rules. If it were to take place under almost any other combat ruleset, Ngannou said it would get very ugly.

“I’ll tell you: Your only chance is in the boxing ring with the boxing rules,” Ngannou said. “When you step out of that ring, you better stay five meters away before you talk your sh*t, because if I lose it, you’re going to have a real bad time, my friend. So, respect the fact boxing is protecting us and the rules of boxing is protecting us, because without that, you are nothing in front of me. I’ll beat you every day – twice on Sunday.”

For more on the fight, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Joshua vs. Ngannou

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Date, time, how to watch, background

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Date, time, how to watch, background.

Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is scheduled to face MMA star-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou on pay-per-view Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

ANTHONY JOSHUA (27-3, 24 KOs)
VS. FRANCIS NGANNOU (0-1, 0 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, March 8
  • Time: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
  • Division: Heavyweight (no limit)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Odds: Joshua 4-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Significance (up to five stars): ****
  • Also on the card: Zhilei Zhang vs. Joseph Parker, heavyweights; Rey Vargas vs. Nick Ball, featherweights (for Vargas’ WBC title); Gavin Gwynne vs. Mark Chamberlain, lightweights; Justis Huni vs. Kevin Lerena, heavyweights
  • Background: Can Ngannou do it again? The MMA star-turned-boxer shocked the boxing world by pushing heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury to his limits on Oct. 28, when he lost a split decision. And he’s jumping directly into another fight with an established star, two-time champion Joshua. Ngannou probably benefitted from the fact Fury took him lightly, which Joshua will not have done. However, Ngannou demonstrated that he’s a capable boxer with unusual physical strength. He’s a genuine threat to Joshua even though he’s around a 4-1 underdog. Joshua is coming off his strongest performances in years, demolishing a solid opponent in Otto Wallin in five rounds on Dec. 23 at Kingdom Arena. He has now won three consecutive times since he lost back-to-back fights against Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022. And he seems to be thriving under new trainer Ben Davison. The winner of this fight will be in a strong position to face the winner of the May 18 Usyk-Fury matchup, as will the winner of the Zhilei Zhang-Joseph Parker fight on the undercard Friday. Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) is coming off back-to-back knockouts of former title contender Joe Joyce last year. Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) delivered a career-changing unanimous decision victory over fellow former titleholder Deontay Wilder on the Joshua-Wallin card. The Kiwi has won four connective fights since he was stopped by Joyce in 11 rounds in 2022.

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