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PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 09: Mike Tyson attends the 2023 French Open at Roland Garros on June 09, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-1497204429-1.jpg?width=600)
via Getty
PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 09: Mike Tyson attends the 2023 French Open at Roland Garros on June 09, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
The showdown between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou sent shockwaves through the world of combat sports. An MMA fighter challenging a reigning WBC boxing champion was an unexpected twist. As the fight began, Ngannnou shut down naysayers as he scored a third-round knockdown against the champion. In the early rounds, Fury appeared hesitant, throwing fewer punches, but his approach changed after he tasted the canvas. Ultimately, the judges awarded Fury a split decision victory, a decision that stirred controversy among fight enthusiasts.
Ngannou showcased a level of skill beyond most people’s expectations. Even established boxing figures such as Devin Haney and Terence Crawford believed this bout would be a walk in the park for Fury. However, he had the former world champion Mike Tyson by his side, who trained him to compete against a behemoth like Fury. And now five days after his victory, Ngannou sent a heartfelt message to Mike Tyson which the boxing legend reciprocated towards. So what did Tyson have to say to Ngannou?
Mike Tyson responds to Ngannou’s message showcasing respect
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Recently, the former UFC heavyweight champion took to Instagram to pay tribute to Mike Tyson for all the support he showed him as he made his debut in the boxing ring. Ngannou, in his heartfelt message, wrote, “My brother, my idol, my GOAT. Thank you for believing in me, for helping me, and for fortifying my faith. The one and only @miketyson”. Ngannou also shared a picture of himself and Tyson together after their fight.
View this post on Instagram
What’s more is that the boxing legend too has now come out and reciprocated Ngannou’s show of respect. Tyson posted a story where he shared the post uploaded by the former UFC champion. Tyson wrote, “Bother I’m humbled and proud beyond measure. You have proven to be the Baddest Man on the Planet.”
It appears that Ngannou and Tyson have formed a much closer bond through the bout. It will be interesting to see if Tyson will help Ngannou train for his future fights as well.
Ngannou vs Tyson Fury fails to meet the expectations?
The highly anticipated Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou matchup, which generated immense excitement last month, appears to have failed to meet its Pay-Per-View (PPV) expectations. Recent reports indicate that it underperformed in terms of PPV purchases, trailing behind the Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul showdown in terms of viewership. The update is baffling, to say the least as even though Fury’s title wasn’t on the line, his undefeated record was certainly so.
Moreover, the event drew a star-studded crowd, with notable figures and celebrities like Cristiano Ronaldo, Eminem, Conor McGregor, and Kanye West in attendance. However, respected journalist Dave Meltzer reported disappointing PPV sales despite the glamorous turnout. Twitter account Fight Ghost shared, “I will have the exact numbers tomorrow, but they were terrible. Way below an AEW PPV. Possibly 10k for TV orders. I will have the streaming tomorrow. It was nothing close to Canelo or Diaz-Paul buys.”
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Meltzer on Observer Radio – discussing the #FuryNgannou PPV buys: "I will have the exact numbers tomorrow, but they were terrible. Way below an AEW PPV. Possibly 10k for TV orders. I will have the streaming tomorrow. It was nothing close to Canelo or Diaz-Paul buys." #BOXING
— Fight Ghost (@Fight_Ghost) November 2, 2023
It appears that even though the fight certainly drew the attention of fans all over the world, it wasn’t enough to get them to buy the PPV. Why do you think the PPV failed to meet the expectations? Do share your thoughts in the comments below.
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