Uncertainty shrouds the idea of a possible fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou. Promoter Eddie Hearn had earlier teased a high-profile matchup between the two fighters in the backdrop of Africa for sometime next year. He suggested that it would be the second edition to the iconic ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, headlined by Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974.
‘The Predator’ has opened up an array of high-profile fights. One of them is the AJ fight that Eddie proposed. Ngannou might take up the lucrative offer. AJ, on the other hand, has shown some qualms about going against the Predator.
Talking about what AJ had said before Ngannou fought Tyson, Eddie explained, “I’ve not spoken to AJ about the Ngannou fight. Last time I spoke to him, he wasn’t interested because he didn’t think he was credible.”
The Cameroonian fighter has now proven his mettle in the ring. Given that, the promoter believes he’s earned that credibility to fight AJ. He continued, “He remains focused on the world heavyweight championship, and Ngannou beating Tyson Fury makes it very credible. So, you can’t in one sense say, oh Ngannou, this new force in the heavyweight division, and then he does that to Tyson Fury, and he’s not credible. I like the fight because I think AJ wins comfortably. So, if they’re interested in that fight, my advice to Anthony Joshua would be to consider that fight.”
However, as AJ’s team has begun planning his next year, Hearn reached out to Ngannou’s team to know if they’re still in for the fight. He has been an active spokesperson in the wake of the Ngannou-Fury fight that went down in the Boulevard Hall of Riyadh.
Eddie Hearn brings Fury Retirement Conjecture to light
While Ngannou awaits those big fights that are on the horizon for him, it remains uncertain as to where Tyson Fury navigates. Given that his fight against Oleksandr Usyk might be pushed to as early as March next year, Hearn has chimed in to provide some groundbreaking revelations. In a conversation with Boxing King Media, the star promoter claimed that he ‘heard’ from sources closer to Fury about his retirement plans post the Ngannou fight.
He said, “I heard George Groves say it the other day. And I’d already heard from someone else a bit closer to the [Fury] camp that they wouldn’t be surprised if he retired. And I wouldn’t either. I think he’s just very up and down… I think a fighter knows if they’re not the fighter, they were.” He added, “I don’t know if it’s the Wilder fights, or the inactivity, or just age. That wasn’t a big shot from Ngannou, doesn’t matter how you want to dress it up.”
The older Fury brother has not had an easy run in the boxing world lately. Despite having successfully defended his WBC title against Derek Chisora last December, the fighter had no luck landing fights. His negotiations with Ukrainian fighter, Usyk hit multiple roadblocks owing to pay-out disputes. Now that the dust settles on the Ngannou fight, it is to see where he takes his next fight. Watch this space as we track the developments on this front closely.
