On March 8th, Francis Ngannou entered the ring against two-time former unified heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua with ambition and high hopes. Following the impressive performance he delivered against Tyson Fury in October last year, a section of the boxing community expected ‘The Predator’ to put Joshua in a fix. On the other hand, as far as style was concerned, ‘The Gypsy King’ believed Ngannou vs. Joshua would be entertaining. While the fight was indeed entertaining, Joshua completely shocked Ngannou and many others with a stellar performance.
‘AJ’ scored two knockdowns early in the fight and managed to knock the Cameroonian out cold in the second round earning a victory. And in the wake of this win, Joshua opened up about a valuable lesson he learned from the Ngannou fight.
Anthony Joshua’s words following the fight could make a grown man cry!
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After the loss against Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou told the media that ‘AJ’ was “way better” than him in the ring. Although Ngannou was devastated, he understood that losses and wins are part of the fight game. Additionally, he branded Joshua as “quite special” since ‘AJ’ achieved what Tyson Fury could not.
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Likewise, when Dose of Society asked Anthony Joshua about the lesson he learned from the victory against the former UFC champion, ‘AJ’ said, “To [have] respect for your opponent always. Don’t let losses define you. And don’t get too carried away when you win.” It is to be noted that following the bout, ‘AJ’ remained humble and showed the spirit of sportsmanship, winning the hearts of many. Following this response, as the reporter asked what advice ‘AJ’ would have given to his younger self, the boxer replied, “Move to a tax-free country.”
On the other hand, Ngannou took the loss like a true sportsman. After being outclassed by the former two-time unified heavyweight champ, the Cameroonian commented on what’s next for him already.
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Is this the end of Francis Ngannou’s boxing run?
After the fight was over, in the ring, Anthony Joshua forbade Ngannou to quit. Additionally, he even promised to contribute to the Francis Ngannou Foundation which is dedicated to making the lives in Africa and Cameroon better. Meanwhile, speaking to the media, Ngannou said, “You can be sure I’m not done here. It wasn’t my day. It sucks but it’s the game. We all know that,” said Ngannou.
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And speaking about the punch that knocked him out, he said, “In fact, I didn’t feel the punch. I think that’s what a knockout is about. I don’t feel any pain. That’s how I know I was knocked out.” Anyway, what do you have to say about the lesson Anthony Joshua learned from the fight? What do you think is next for Francis Ngannou? Let us know in the comments below.