Anthony Joshua might not get to fight his British counterpart any time soon. However, how about a fight with Francis Ngannou who everybody claims nearly defeated Tyson Fury? AJ is about to enter the ring for the third time this year against Otto Wallin. Refreshed from his four-day darkness retreat, Joshua is confident about his upcoming battle on 23 December.
However, that’s not the fight people have been asking for! Rather, a clash with hard-hitting Deontay Wilder is the demand on the streets of boxing. While boxing fans might see that fight next, AJ dropped a bombshell in a recent interview. While talking to Laura Woods from TNT Sports, who is also the broadcaster of the fight, the Brit shed light on his desire to meet Francis Ngannou. If that wasn’t enough, the two-time heavyweight champion speculated what a fight between them would look like.
Midway through the interview, Laura brought up ‘The Predator’ Ngannou. In response, the Watford resident claimed Francis’ story was inspirational for him. “His story, if you can’t take motivation from that and inspiration, I don’t know what would drive you in life. What a story he has! So inspiration for me,” said Joshua. When probed about whether he has met the Cameroonian and, if not, would he like to, Joshua revealed he has not met Ngannou but would love to.
“No, I haven’t…Oh yeah, definitely. I’d like to go to Cameroon to the sand mine where he worked as a kid,” said Joshua. What’s more, Laura questioned what would happen if the two met in the ring. So, the 28-3 boxer confidently claimed it would be a war of the bodybuilders. “War, first man to land is going out…Battle of the bodybuilders,” said Joshua. While the fight with Ngannou is nowhere near reality, AJ’s fight with Wilder is all but confirmed.
Before the December 23 Saudi event was announced, everybody thought Joshua might fight Wilder. However, in a hilarious turn of events, it was announced that they would fight on the same night but with other people. Nevertheless, fans are finally getting what they want, as Mike Coppinger reveals the deal between them.
Turning to X (formerly Twitter), Coppinger wrote, “Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder have a deal in place for a March 9 fight in Saudi Arabia, sources tell ESPN.” However, to keep the deal intact, both fighters must win their upcoming fights on December 23. “They must win to keep the bout intact. Joshua fights Otto Wallin while Wilder faces Joseph Parker,”
