Anthony Joshua wants the champion’s throne. The former world champion crushed three opponents in 2023 and believes he is ready to reclaim the gold strap now. While he detours and bids his time to face the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk winner, he has picked a money fight with Francis Ngannou. However, the MMA fighter stands tall between him and his ambitions.

‘AJ’ is on the cusp of a title shot next after he recently defeated Otto Wallin at the Day of Reckoning card in December. That marked his third win of the year, as he previously handed defeats to Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius. He has slowly steered his career since dropping consecutive fights against Usyk. The British boxer now awaits in the ranks before he punches his ticket to a shot at the undisputed crown. But all might be lost if he fails to acknowledge the threat in ‘The Predator’.

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Size of the dog in the fight

When Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua squared off at the recently concluded press conference, the former towered over him. ‘AJ’ has enjoyed a size advantage against his opponents over the year. He has muscled his way through and imposed his will on his opponents. This might not be the case when he clashes with the former UFC champion.

The beefed-up Ngannou even put Eddie Hearn in shock and bewilderment when the promoter witnessed him up close. According to the British promoter, the Cameroonian-French fighter made ‘AJ’ look like a “middleweight”. With bigger sizes comes the threatening knockout power, and the punches sting more.

The puncher’s chance is a talk of the past for Ngannou, as the fans have come to realize his one-punch knockout power. If Joshua is stuck in his mind preparing for the winner of Usyk vs. Fury, Ngannou is sure to tag him with a KO punch. The brute power, athleticism, and size give Ngannou an edge over Joshua, and those are not the only things that Joshua has to worry about.

The Tyson Fury fight raises red alarm

The visuals of a baffled Fury on the mat, still reeling from Ngannou’s punch, made the rounds on the internet. Fans and pundits believe that the former UFC champion did enough to bag the win. If the gulf of skills between Fury and Ngannou had been enormous, the latter wouldn’t have knocked him down.

Few are aware that Ngannou wanted to reach the pinnacle of boxing and not MMA. He had mastered the art of mashing the pads for decades, and the only missing puzzle link was a debut fight. Since he has now realized his dream, Ngannou has his eye set on the bigger prize. The 37-year-old believes he can put any heavyweight to dust after his beatdown of Fury.

Joshua, at 27-3, took the fight with Ngannou to prove his mantel as a better boxer than Fury. But he might fall into the same trap and commit the same mistake if he shows up overweight or fails to employ a proper training camp. Meanwhile, for Ngannou, the fight against Joshua remains a two-step climb to the undisputed title.

The ever-evolving ‘Predator’ and the allure of a distant dream

What makes Joshua a victim of Ngannou’s punches? The former heavyweight champion has a weak chin, which makes him a moving target in the cage. Besides, Ngannou, fueled by his last performance and bolstered in confidence, is a man on a mission. Therefore, the chances of Joshua getting knocked out because of a weak chin are high.

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Joshua runs a high risk of gambling it all against Ngannou unless he takes the challenge in hand seriously and pushes money and the undisputed title into the background. This is the last hurrah for Joshua, as Zhilei Zhang and Filip Hrgović are pushing hard for a title shot next. All Joshua needs to do is take one fight at a time and give Ngannou credit.

What do you make of this upcoming fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou? Who do you think will emerge victorious? Let us know in the comments below.

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