Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will finally meet this Friday in a fascinating heavyweight encounter that has got the whole world talking. The fight, which can be seen live on DAZN PPV, is the perfect chance for Joshua to make an emphatic statement following Ngannou’s performance against Tyson Fury last October.
Let’s be honest, nobody saw that coming when Ngannou almost caused one of the biggest shocks in boxing history when he nearly beat the WBC world champion. Ngannou was brilliant as he pushed Fury back, didn’t look overwhelmed, and he also dropped Fury. As professional debuts go, it was very impressive.
You can say what you want about the way Fury performed, but Ngannou still had so much pressure on him going into that fight and he didn't let it show once. He was calm, relaxed, and he waited for the right moments. He may have caught Fury on a bad day, but he still showed me enough to prove that he can be a threat if you allow him to get on top.
I think the way that fight played out will help Joshua massively because he’ll be preparing for the best version of Ngannou. AJ has always prepared properly, but if he fought Ngannou before Fury then he would’ve had to perhaps put up with the shock factor. There’s none of that now. He’s fully aware of what Ngannou is capable of.
These last 12 months have been vital for AJ because for the first time in his career he’s had the chance to work with different trainers and work on himself. He’s still very much dreaming of becoming heavyweight world champion for a third time and he can take a step closer to that goal by looking impressive against Ngannou.
The former UFC champion will believe he’s the stronger man in this fight and he’ll be trying to get close to Joshua from the first bell. Ngannou will be confident of doing some damage if he gets close and Joshua will have to make sure he stops him from closing the distance or that he hurts him on the way in.
One big belief I've got is that Joshua can hurt Ngannou and I think if he can do it early then the fight will immediately become his. Joshua is a ruthless finisher once he gets a fighter in trouble and this fight can go quick if Joshua can make a dent in Ngannou in the opening stages.
The more likely outcome is a middle rounds stoppage for the guy with more boxing experience. Joshua will start quick to get in control of the fight and that approach will give Ngannou plenty to think about. I see Joshua picking up rounds before he slows Ngannou down and wastes no time finishing the job when the opportunity comes up.
If the fight plays out the way I think it will then it’ll be all eyes on Fury against Oleksandr Usyk in May as Joshua will want the winner. He can only get that fight by looking unstoppable against Ngannou and that’s what I’m expecting when the first bell goes on Friday night. Joshua to win by stoppage and to look good doing so.
Live on DAZN PPV: Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou on March 8. Click here for details and how to purchase.