“Never Ever Seen a Picture or Poster of Him”: With Days Left in His Debut Boxing Fight, Francis Ngannou Makes Honest Confession While Detailing First Ever Memory of Mike Tyson

Francis Ngannou must rely on a combination of skills, luck, and an unknown factor (the X-factor) to create a seismic impact in the boxing realm and defeat the formidable undefeated British fighter, Tyson Fury. Despite skepticism from purists about Ngannou’s prospects since the announcement of the fight has improved, the outcome will be determined solely by the superior fighter when they face off in Riyadh on October 28.

As pledged, Mike Tyson is actively sharing his wisdom with the newcomer, allowing Ngannou to soak in his expertise. Ngannou had never in his life imagined ‘Iron’ Mike would be personally looking over his training. Speaking to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Ngannou reveals what the name meant to him before he showed up in person to train Ngannou.

How was Mike Tyson different, according to Francis Ngannou?

Ngannou had known Mike Tyson’s name since he was about 9 or 10 years old, or maybe even earlier. It was just a name to him, though. He had “never seen a picture or a poster of him,” let alone watched one of his fights. It was when he went to an internet cafe that he watched Tyson on YouTube. “In fact, I never watched Mike Tyson fight in life. I got it to the point that I was able to go to a cybercafe. That is where I started to go there, go on YouTube and watch Mike Tyson,” remarked Ngannou.

When asked about the impression Tyson made, Ngannou had an entire analysis ready. The ‘Predator’ had already started his boxing training when he first watched Tyson on the screen. This made it easy for him to understand most of what was going on.

As Ngannou said, “It was even more exciting because when you start boxing, those fundamentals–raise your hands, move like this, lateral, vertical, forward, backward, and all these things. Then you start like that and then you see all those professionals, and they are fighting differently. You know, hands down, and things like that. And it doesn’t look like those fundamentals that they teach you.”

Ngannou went on to add, “But you look somebody like Mike Tyson. It’s just fighting fundamentals. Hands up, move, everything just like the fundamentals.” Tyson had his fundamentals clear, which provided the base for the career that he built later on.

Mike Tyson as a coach

Mike Tyson plays a crucial role in Francis Ngannou’s corner for the upcoming fight against Tyson Fury, drawing from his personal experience in channeling childhood fears and pain into his fights. Despite being introduced as Ngannou’s trainer, Tyson sees himself primarily as a coach, highlighting his steadfast allegiance to Ngannou.

Read More: Does Francis Ngannou Has What It Takes To Pull One of the Biggest Upsets in Boxing Against Tyson Fury?

Even without an official title, Tyson serves as a guiding influence, providing mentorship and sharing his boxing expertise, particularly in dealing with taller opponents – a skill he mastered during his own illustrious career. Tyson encourages Ngannou to embrace the opportunity, confronting the challenge without the fear of humiliation, thus highlighting the influential impact of mentorship and coaching in the boxing realm. The experienced Tyson has declared that Ngannou has exceeded his expectations and is confident in Ngannou’s victory in the upcoming fight against Tyson Fury.

Ngannou is fortunate to have none other than the boxing legend, grueling him before the final showdown. Though Fury is not the easiest opponent, Ngannou has in his pocket his immense punching power and Tyson’s training. Who are you rooting for?

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