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Anthony Joshua‘s anticipated bout against Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia faces uncertainty due to a change in the event organization. Initially planned for January 2024, the involvement shift from Skill Challenge Entertainment to the General Sports Authority led to the matchup falling through. Promoter Eddie Hearn discussed potential February or March 2024 dates in other locations.

Despite the Wilder bout’s hiccup, plans for Joshua to compete against Tyson Fury or Francis Ngannou align within the same timeframe, offering boxing fans alternative high-profile matchups in the coming year. Hearn has some advice for Joshua in this regard.

In an interview with iFL TV, Hearn gave an insight into the future fights. Mentioning Fury, he said the ‘Gypsy King’ will fight Oleksandr Usyk since there is a humongous amount of money involved. However, he might retire after the bout. But if both Fury and Joshua both beat their opponents in their respective upcoming fights and then decide to battle each other, it would cause a storm. However, the ball, as Hearn contended, is in Fury’s court at the moment.

Hearn is still hopeful about the fight. As he said, “I think if you said to AJ, bear in your mind how important it is to fight for the world heavyweight championship; I think if you said to AJ- what would you prefer? To win the world heavyweight championship again or to fight Tyson Fury, I think he might say the world heavyweight championship, but deep down if he doesn’t fight Fury in his career, he’d be gutted.”

Though a match with Fury might not be on Joshua’s priority list, Hearn thinks his career will be incomplete without locking horns with his long-time rival.

The riveting storyline of Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua, born from their shared ambition for heavyweight unification, stands as a compelling narrative in modern sports history. In the negotiations between Fury and Joshua for their Battle of Britain heavyweight fight in 2022, Fury set deadlines. Much to the disappointment of fans, Joshua missed them and a furious Fury called off the bout. Even extending the deadlines and attempts to reschedule in 2023 could not materialize the fight.

Despite a massive global fanbase, charismatic personalities, and intense verbal sparring, the much-anticipated bout never materialized due to various factors. These include disagreements over terms, mandatory challengers, and contractual obligations with different boxing organizations. The highly anticipated clash between the two promised a rare unification of heavyweight titles. Additionally, it would feature the intriguing matchup of Fury’s elusive style against Joshua’s powerful technique.

 

Deontay Wilder’s trainer and former heavyweight contender, Malik Scott, is confident he knows what would happen should Tyson Fury ever fight Anthony Joshua following his lacklustre showing against Francis Ngannou.

The majority of fight fans expected Lineal and WBC champion Fury to play with former MMA champion Ngannou when the pair met in the squared circle in Riyadh.

Across 10 rounds, however, Ngannou remained competitive and even shocked the world by knocking Fury down in the third round. Fury got up and saw out a split decision points win, but came out with a diminished reputation.

Speaking to ESNews, Scott was asked how British rival Joshua would get on against Fury after that showing.

“Anthony Joshua against Fury? That Fury, he’ll beat. And I believe [Joshua will] beat Ngannou. There is only one man who knocks him out cold, and I think we know who that is, Deontay Wilder.”

Scott was then asked how Oleksandr Usyk will fare against Fury when the pair meet, though one former champion has advised the Brit against that fight.

“He’ll beat this Fury. His feet will be too much for Fury.”

Scott highlighted the punishment Fury has taken across his career and the effect that is now starting to have.

“Even though Fury won this fight [with Ngannou] I don’t know, father time, he’s an older 35. He’s been in three fights with Wilder. That was Fury’s eighth time getting knocked down.”

Whether Fury is in decline or it was just an off night, fans will find out when he steps into the ring with Usyk

What once was a dream is now a reality. When Francis Ngannou came to France after toiling hard in Cameroon, he wanted to excel in the square circle. Fast forward to some time later, after punching his way to the top in the UFC, he returned to knocking down giants in the boxing ring. Ever since he rocked Tyson Fury on October 28, he has ensured his name is taken in the same breath as other star heavyweights. However, it seems ‘The Predator’ has become fixated on ‘The Gypsy King’ and is missing the larger picture. Is he wrong to stake his career to chase a rematch with Fury while Anthony Joshua is itching to have a go with him?

When the former UFC champion left the boxing arena in Riyadh, he knew he had beaten the WBC champion. Despite Fury being slated to face Oleksandr Usyk, he is willing to wait months before having another crack at Fury. He left Fury with a cut that pushed Fury vs. Usyk to next year, a bout that was initially scheduled for December 23. Meanwhile, the 37-year-old MMA fighter is not signing a deal in hopes of running it back once again. Has the rematch infatuation distracted him from pursuing other worthy opponents?

Ngannou recently reiterated his desire to wait for the Fury rematch. He told TMZ, “I would be willing to wait [for Fury to fight Usyk]. I know that they are going to fight. They had a contract already.”

“So they are going to fight sometime in February instead of Dec. 23, which is my fault. I shouldn’t have cut him. He would’ve fought December 23. And maybe we would’ve run it back early next year,” he noted with a hint of pride.

But neither the fans nor the promoters are interested in their rematch at the moment. The fans know that the Cameroonian-French fighter handed a defeat to Fury and was robbed. Moreover, the fight failed to generate excitement and suffered financially. The setting up of the event in Riyadh meant the PPV streamed in the day in the United States.

Therefore, the reports of Fury vs. Ngannou’s PPV clash selling only 67,000 PPVs didn’t come as a surprise to some. Yet, the lineup of bigshots hungry to have the flesh of Ngannou is long.

Maybe a little of Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, or even Derek Chisora

Amid Ngannou’s deep-seated desire for a rematch, Eddie Hearn is pushing Anthony Joshua as Ngannou’s next opponent. The British promoter told the BBC, “As we start to plan AJ’s next six to 12 months, we just want to know if that is an option.”

Joshua has no fight lined up and is currently training with Derrick James. Unlike Fury, who remains focused on Usyk. Joshua has carved out a name for himself as the top heavyweight, and his skills are second to none. However, Ngannou is not ready to fight Joshua, at least not this year.

As Ngannou told TMZ, “First of all, it’s too soon. Secondly, my focus, as boxing is concerned, is a rematch with Tyson. That’s the most important thing for me right now. Everything else for boxing comes after.”

Likewise, the rumors of Ngannou closing a deal with Deontay Wilder for two fights have also gained traction. Derek Chisora didn’t shy away from throwing his name in the mix when he called out Ngannou. Hence, Ngannou can have his pick from among the three in a blockbuster PPV and not endure the anguish of waiting for a Tyson Fury rematch.

The time is also running out for Ngannou as he waits for Fury. While some have forgotten that he is under a contract with the PFL, combat fans remember his controversial exit from the UFC and his back-and-forth with Dana White. Can he actually afford to wait?

The PFL contract and his MMA obligations

Ngannou’s contract with the PFL affords him the liberty to realize his boxing dream. However, he has to, at some point, return to the fold of MMA. Most probably, that will be the first half of next year.

The heavyweight fighter can’t juggle between two boxing and MMA camps in a few months. He needs to recover and adjust accordingly. The more he waits for Fury, the more he cuts his dream run short. Ngannou must also remember that he is not getting younger.

 

 

 

To many, it was not a knockout; it was a statement. It was a knockout that declared, at least to a good degree, that Anthony Joshua had cast aside the demons. Beginning with the Andy Ruiz Jr. loss, the last three years have been anything but encouraging for the former heavyweight champion. Two defeats in a row at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk only served to fuel the fire of his detractors. The unimpressive win over Jermaine Franklin in April further fanned it.

Thus, the seventh-round knockout of Robert Helenius on August 12 helped him to a great measure douse the heat and smoke. Even the techniques he deployed in recent fights appear to be gaining some traction. They appear to have resonated so deeply with Conor McGregor that he has begun passing it on to his son. He shared a video of his son practicing the combo ‘AJ’ used to knockout Helenius through his Instagram account two days ago. Later, a happy Joshua also uploaded it to his Instagram story.
So ‘The Notorious’ wrote that he and his son Conor McGregor Jr. were trying a hand at the Anthony Joshua knockout combination. He said, “Jab the head, jab the body, back hand finish up top to the head. All we see all day lately in the boxing realm is the jab to the body followed by the back hand to the head, and with great success too.” More so, its efficacy is particularly strong when used against an opponent who has adopted a similar stance.
McGregor could be heard instructing his son, “Jab the head, jab the body, backhand. Now try to, try sink it in. I don’t want to slip it off…don’t want the punch to slip off; I want to sink in…” He called it a very straightforward and rudimentary technique. As the video showed, McGregor instructed the junior to try the technique in both southpaw and orthodox styles.

By 2018, Anthony Joshua was ruling the world. His 22nd consecutive win made him the unified Heavyweight champion. But on June 1, 2019, Andy Ruiz Jr. ruined the party. But six months later, he regained ground, defeating the American boxer to become a unified champion a second time. However, he could barely hold it. After a title defense in 2020, Oleksandr Usyk handed him his second career defeat and took away all the belts. ‘AJ’ tried wresting it from the Ukrainian, but met with failure again.

Per the available reports, Anthony Joshua’s fight with Deontay Wilder appears to be hanging on the fence. However, the fans need not be disappointed. ‘AJ” could return for a third fight, possibly by December, if the Wilder fight gets pushed back to 2024. Thus, overall, it seems like things are looking brighter for Joshua.

 

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.

Francis Ngannou is fresh off, having impressed the boxing realm with his performance in his maiden boxing fight against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, which he lost through a controversial split decision. Anthony Joshua, on the other hand, awaits the confirmation of dates for his fight against Deontay Wilder. Amidst these developments, AJ’s promoter has cleared the air as to where his fighter stands concerning a possible Ngannou fight.

‘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.

 

Oleksandr Usyk has made an incredible mark on the heavyweight division in just five fights. Four of those wins have come against British fighters, from Derek Chisora to Anthony Joshua twice and then, most recently, Daniel Dubois.

The Ukrainian beat Joshua for his unified heavyweight titles back in 2021 via unanimous points victory, repeating the feat one year on to retain the belts with ‘AJ’ managing to get the nod on one judge’s score for a split decision.

After talks with Tyson Fury for an undisputed bout were put on ice, Usyk set about facing his first mandatory challenger, Dubois.

Many in the sport once viewed the 26-year-old as the heir to the British heavyweight throne, but if that means echoing Joshua’s achievements in the pro ranks, Usyk can’t see it happening.

In an interview with Sportnow, he said he believes that Dubois will not reach the same level.

“There is no way to compare [Dubois and Joshua], because they are completely different fighters. Different skills; different styles. Totally different boxers. To be fair, I don’t think [Dubois can reach Joshua’s level]. I am sorry for saying this, but this is the truth and I’m telling it.”

Dubois entered the ring against Usyk a big underdog, and a large majority of the action proved that to be correct, save for a moment in the fifth round when the champion hit the canvas.

The shot was immediately ruled a low blow by referee Luis Pabon and, once recovered, Usyk took back control for a ninth round stoppage.

Dubois’ promoter lodged an appeal with the WBA as to the illegal shot decision, but the official ruling stood. The Brit finds himself in build-back mode, now with the added motivation of a doubter in the form of Usyk.

After watching Francis Ngannou, drop Tyson Fury, the boxing Heavyweight champion on the floor in his debut match, Eddie Hearn is now eyeing a match between the Cameroonian and Anthony Joshua. Many who thought Fury would easily defeat ‘The Predator.’ Ngannou, however, proved the naysayers wrong by losing the fight by just one point.

In fact, this decision has been the subject of controversy since. After Fury received a black eye in the fight, he decided to shift his fight with Oleksandr Usyk to the next year, buying him some time for recovery and preparation. Now, Joshua’s fight with Deontay Wilder which was supposed to be held on the undercard of the above-mentioned fight hangs in the air. Hearn has thrown light on the potential fights Joshua might take up instead.
In an interview with iFL TV, when asked whether Joshua will stand inside the ring during the remainder of this year, Hearn was not so sure. January is the tentative month that we see Joshua punch it out again. Fury’s December 23rd fight got pushed, something Hearn already suspected. Regretting his risky decision, he said that a fight with Chris Eubank Jr. would have made more sense.
We might see Joshua on the canvas with Ngannou if it materializes. At least, Hearn thinks it is a brilliant idea. The time is not much of a concern for him though. January works just as well for him as February does. “I have exchanged messages with the right people all around to make that fight and I’ve just told him that we would be willing to make that fight and it is massive and that’s why I told them and it’s up to them really.” said Hearn about the Ngannou fight. However, he was certain of the Eubank Jr. fight, which he informed would happen in January in the UK. Dan Hardy, a former UFC fighter has predicted how a fight between the UFC Heavyweight and Joshua would unfold.
Former UFC fighter Dan Hardy believes Francis Ngannou has the potential to hold world heavyweight titles in both boxing and MMA simultaneously. Despite his loss to Tyson Fury, Hardy argues that Ngannou deserved the win and could compete effectively against top heavyweights like Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou’s versatility leaves him with options in both sports, with the possibility of challenging for a boxing title. The WBC has committed to ranking Ngannou in their top 10, putting him within reach of a title shot with a few strong victories. Hardy, who is also head of fighter operations for PFL Europe, sees Ngannou as a unique athlete capable of excelling in both boxing and MMA, making history with such a feat.
Joshua had been rooting for Ngannou to take down his longtime rival, Fury. Ngannou’s stupendous performance has opened multiple doors for him. With Joshua looking for a fresh opponent after his plans with Wilder fell apart.

Talks about a showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have circulated for years. However, a bout between the two rivals never materialized due to multiple issues. Despite fans’ anticipation of a clash between the two heavyweight titans, the two were set to face separate opponents in Riyadh this year, with Joshua on the undercard against Deontay Wilder. However, after a brutal knockdown by Francis Ngannou, the dates for Fury’s fight with Oleksandr Usyk might get pushed even further.

In his boxing debut last weekend in Saudi Arabia, former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou faced Tyson Fury and surpassed expectations. Despite the loss, Ngannou impressed by taking Fury to a contentious split decision. Ngannou landed a good number of impactful punches than Fury throughout the 10 rounds. Ultimately, he narrowly lost by just one point on the scorecards. With Ngannou on the heavyweight list, Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter has some new advice for Joshua.

As the promoter has revealed, Ngannou had shown interest in a fight with Joshua. However, Joshua rejected it, since he wanted to fight for a belt. But now, Ngannou’s performance against Fury might change the narrative. Though Ngannou suffered a loss, multiple boxers came forward to iterate that Ngannou was the one who deserved the win. What Ngannou has achieved cannot be taken lightly. This is why Hearn believes taking up the Cameroonian as his next opponent will be of advantage to Joshua.

“My advice to Anthony Joshua would be to take that fight, because one, he beats him comfortably and two, it’s massive, you imagine them next to each other, I’m talking rumble in the jungle part two in Africa.” The ‘Gypsy King’ himself admitted to Ngannou giving him the toughest fight in the last decade. A fight against one with such heavy credibility would take the boxing world by storm. Since Ngannou barely has any boxing experience, beating him would not be a herculean task for the seasoned boxer either, or so you think?

In 2022, negotiations between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua for the highly anticipated all-British heavyweight world title fight became dramatic. Fury set deadlines for the bout, but Joshua missed them, leading to the fight’s cancellation. Fury extended the deadline, proposing the fight via social media in 2023 after Oleksandr Usyk’s unavailability. However, Joshua planned a return in August and a bout with Deontay Wilder in December.

Fury explored alternative matchups, including facing Jon Jones, causing dissatisfaction from Hearn.

The Fury-Joshua bout generated excitement due to its potential as two elite-level British heavyweights test their prowess against one another. It will be a clash of Fury’s elusive style with Joshua’s power, global fanbases, and their charismatic personalities.

 

Rumours had been circulating that Anthony Joshua has split from his trainer Derrick James. Now, the American has responded.

Eddie Hearn recently spoke about Joshua having linked up with Tyson Fury’s former trainer Ben Davison, but stated his fighter was still 100% with James and was just ‘ticking over’ in Davison’s gym.

Despite the clarification, rumours spread online that he had decided to split with the Texan trainer entirely.

Currently, Hearn is working towards the two-time heavyweight champion’s next fight. It would be his third fight with James who is so far 2 and 0 in Joshua’s corner having overseen his points win over Jermaine Frankly in April and his knockout of late replacement opponent Robert Helenius in August.

Those have been some of James’s few successes this year as others in his gym, namely Errol Spence and Jermell Charlo, have had high-profile losses against Terence Crawford and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez respectively. speaking to FightHype, James was asked about his situation with Joshua.

“People start all these rumours or whatever. That’s just stupid. I saw somebody report on it. And I was like OK, I know the person who reported on it, if they wanted to know they could have just called me and asked me about it.”

He then, without saying it directly, confirmed that he was still in the Brit’s corner.

“Hey man, come on. It doesn’t even need to be talked about.”

Joshua has since landed back in Texas and been at the World Class Boxing Gym with James.

He is expected out in January before pushing for a Deontay Wilder fight in Spring, but his team have recently been distracted by the potential of facing Francis Ngannou.

 

On the 30th of October, 1974, an iconic fight went down in Kinshasa, Zaire (modern-day Democratic Republic of Congo). In a fight titled, ‘Rumble in Jungle’, Muhammad Ali rose victorious against George Foreman through an 8th-round knockout. 50 years later today, the iconic title will be invoked yet again. This time between abled Heavyweight fighter Anthony Joshua and newbie boxer, Francis Ngannou. 

The fight comes in the wake of Ngannou having proven his mettle against WBC Heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury on the 28th of October. Despite having lost the matchup through a split decision, Ngannou managed to convince the world that he holds the gumption of a Heavyweight fighter. Hence, comes the fight ‘Rumble in Jungle II’.

When the ten rounds had elapsed between Fury and ‘The Predator’ Ngannou, the world had realized what the latter held in spirit as a boxer. With his precision and powerful jabs, he even managed to throw down a giant like Tyson Fury. After having proved his capabilities in his maiden fight, he awaited a fight that was if not more but equally as high-profile as the Fury one.

Enter Eddie Hearn. If anyone can conceptualize fights of a mammoth capacity, it is AJ’s promoter, Hearn. Heavily impressed with how Ngannou maneuvered through the ring against Fury, he now offers the fighter yet another big fight. A fight that will beseech history in all its glory. In a conversation with Ariel Helwani, the promoter outlined a potential Africa fight between AJ and Ngannou.

He said, “Now I’m thinking, ‘Francis Ngannou vs Anthony Joshua, perhaps in Africa, perhaps the Rumble in the Jungle II, is one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport.’ And I promise you this – respect to Francis, [but] easy work for my man.” 

If the proposal of Rumble in the Jungle II goes through, the boxing realm can expect a fight that will generate bucks possibly like never before. However, the pressure on the organizers and the fighters too will be massive given the standards set by the previous edition of the fight.

In the books, Ali vs. Foreman

Ali’s iconic “Rumble in the Jungle” with George Foreman captivated the world’s attention. This fight came against the backdrop of the Vietnam War as a beacon of diversion from it. Ali had revived his career after a three-and-a-half-year hiatus due to objection regarding participating in the war. He returned to the ring, even if slower, and defied the odds, drawing in fans and media with his charisma and style.

In the exotic setting of Kinshasa, he faced Foreman, the unbeaten champion. The fight, recorded for posterity, became a legendary event. Ali, the underdog at 40-1 odds, triumphed with an eighth-round knockout, reaffirming his status as the “King of the World.” Yet, the event also raised some ethical questions. Ali demanded a lucrative sum to participate, aligning himself with Mobutu Sese Seko’s regime. The fight was a remarkable spectacle. However, it was associated with a despotic ruler who led a longstanding dictatorship in the region.

Ali’s unconventional tactics, leaning on slackened ropes, exhausted Foreman and led to his stunning victory. This win, like so many of Ali’s feats, defied doubters and solidified his legendary status. Retelling this story in their contexts now will be Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua. Ngannou has no fight signed after the Fury one. However, AJ will be taking his crusade in the much-awaited Deontay Wilder fight.