Francis Ngannou is backing Tyson Fury to topple Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight grudge match later this year. After 10 years of trading verbal jabs, the two stars finally agreed to meet in the ring. Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalsheikh confirmed the news last month, with Joshua penning a multi-fight deal. The former two-time heavyweight world champion will first have a tune-up fight against Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25.
As for Fury, the 'Gypsy King' ended his year-long retirement last month when he outpointed Arslanbek Makhmudov in front of over 60,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London. Fury was then quick to grab the mic and issue a call-out of 'AJ', who was sitting ringside, but Joshua refused to engage in the theatrics.
Should Joshua come away unscathed from his comeback fight, he and Fury will finally trade leather in November, most likely at Wembley, with the fight to be shown live on Netflix. Fans were recently left stunned after it was revealed that the 'Gypsy King' could fight again before taking on Joshua.
Ngannou's Unique Perspective
Very few men know exactly what it's like to get punched in the face by Joshua and Fury, but ex-UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou can say he had the honour of facing both giants. The 39-year-old made his professional boxing debut back in 2023 against Fury and shocked the world by dropping the Brit in the early rounds, but ultimately fell short and suffered a split decision defeat. Just a few months later, the Cameroon scrapper was back in the squared circle, but this time against Joshua. There wasn't any drama in the ring on fight night as 'AJ' went on to brutally knock his foe out in the second round.
Ngannou's Prediction
Having faced the pair, Ngannou was eager to share his prediction for the inevitable all-British heavyweight showdown. "We've been waiting for that fight for almost 10 years now, so finally it has happened," he told Sky Sports. "At this level, I think it's very close. Anybody can win. It depends on how the fight goes. I think if it's going to go to a decision, I will pick Fury. If it's a knockout, I think Joshua has a chance early. But I think the fight is well in Fury's favour."
Ruiz Jr's Warning
While many are chomping at the bit to see the heavyweight showdown, Andy Ruiz Jr warned Joshua that he is 'permanently damaged' and has never recovered from the knockout defeat he suffered at the hands of the Mexican-American. Ruiz Jr famously stopped Joshua in 2019 as he climbed off the canvas before dropping his rival four times en route to victory, snatching the world titles from the Brit. Joshua would go on to win back his titles six months later with a points victory over the Mexican-American scrapper.
Seven years on from their two fights, Ruiz Jr believes Joshua is still feeling the effects of his defeat. "Long story short, my really good friend, who's a doctor, told me that after I hit him with that shot to the temple, he wasn't going to recover," he told Vegas Insider. "This was like two months after I fought Anthony Joshua and I was like, what do you mean? I think he's going to be good. And he was like, no, he is not going to recover. Every time he gets hit right there, something is going to rattle in his brain. And after he beat me, all these other fights he started losing. And so we're like, what the heck is going on? But everyone still has that willpower and the warrior in them that they could overcome any obstacles and battles that they've been through."
Ruiz Jr added: "Especially with Anthony Joshua, all the things that he's been through and he's still fighting. He's still breathing and that's amazing. Especially him almost dying in a car accident. I don't have anything bad to say about AJ, but just give me the trilogy so I can redeem myself!"
