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Anthony Joshua refuses to explain why he only wears one earphone during face-offs

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Joshua wore just one airpod for his press conference and face-off with former UFC champion Ngannou but he refused to state what he was listening to

Anthony Joshua refused to explain why he wore just one earphone for his face-off with Francis Ngannou.

Michael Bisping respects Anthony Joshua for boxing Francis Ngannou

Joshua is hoping to earn himself an undisputed heavyweight world title fight with a win against former UFC champion Ngannou when they fight March. 8. The pair appeared in London on Monday afternoon at a launch press conference to promote their fight, which takes place just weeks after Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk meet for all of the heavyweight belts.

‘AJ’ walked out onstage in casual attire with a beanie hat and just one airpod in, something he also did at the press conference for his fight against Otto Wallin last month. When asked what he was listening to during the face-off, Joshua said on The MMA Hour: “I’m not telling you that! I’m not telling you that, what airpod? You’re very observant.”

Ngannou replaced Deontay Wilder to fight Joshua when the American ruined an illustrious two-fight deal with the Brit by losing to Joseph Parker last month. Joshua is refusing to overlook Ngannou following his stunning boxing debut against Fury that ended in a controversial loss for the Cameroonian.

 

I'm making sure it's not just prayer, I'm following up by action as well' – Anthony Joshua focused on win over Otto Wallin | Independent.ie

“Every fight leads to somewhere, so this fight is my everything, my soul, my spirit, my mind, my body,” he said. “We’ll see where it leads me but at the moment I’m not thinking about championship belts or anything other than Francis. We’re putting the belts on hold, I’m searching for greatness.

“He brings two arms, a body, like every other fighter does. It’s just his mind that’s different but in terms of his frame, he’s seen people like me before and I’ve seen people like him before. It’s going to be good, it’s going to be explosive but there are many ways to skin a cat.”

Anthony Joshua says losing to Otto Wallin would be career-ending | Anthony Joshua | The Guardian

Ngannou could find himself in an undisputed world title fight with a record of 1-1 if he gets past Joshua. The former UFC champion wants another shot at Fury and has shown a lack of interest in competing for a world title because he doesn’t want to be caught up in boxing politics after struggling for years to leave the UFC because of contractual issues.

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BOXING

Anthony Joshua at risk of same Tyson Fury punishment because of Mike Tyson

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Francis Ngannou may call upon Mike Tyson to help him prepare for his blockbuster fight with Anthony Joshua – just like he did for his impressive professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury.

Anthony Joshua vs Martin Bakole could be ordered for WBA final eliminator fight this year | Boxing News | Sky Sports

Ngannou nearly pulled off the biggest shock in boxing history when he suffered a narrow defeat to Fury, despite dropping the WBC heavyweight champion in the third round.

The MMA icon’s exhibition against Fury was originally seen as nothing more than a money-grab opportunity for both fighters in Saudi Arabia.

But Ngannou’s performance has made the heavyweight division stand up and take notice with the ex-UFC fighter now contracted to the Professional Fighters League.

Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will face off in March
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will face off in March

Joshua, who is looking to rebuild his reputation and regain his heavyweight belts, has accepted terms to fight Ngannou next with the bout taking place in Saudi Arabia on March 8.

And Dewey Cooper, who helped coach Ngannou for his fight against Fury, has revealed the duo could call upon Tyson once again to help best prepare him for the Joshua bout.

He told talkSPORT: “Four years ago, Francis went on Mike Tyson’s podcast, and Francis was talking about fighting Tyson Fury and people like that way back then.

“He made an agreement with Mike Tyson that if he did a boxing fight Mike would have to work his corner because Mike Tyson was so influential in Francis wanting to take this journey.

“Mike had to be a part of it. He trained Francis when he could.

“He had a very busy schedule. He and I are good friends, so whenever he came in, he took over. It’s Mike Tyson!”

He added: “Whatever way Francis wants Mike Tyson to be involved he will be.

“I love Mike, we go back way before any of this Francis Ngannou–UFC stuff was happening anyway.

Mike Tyson helped coach Francis Ngannou against Tyson Fury

“So, I hope he will come through like he did last time and keep implementing his mentality and technique.

“I’m sure he will, but either way, [Ngannou] is going to be prepared and ready to go against Anthony Joshua.”

Some have been surprised at Joshua taking the fight given the risks involved as a loss to Ngannou will all but wreck any chances he has of regaining his heavyweight belts.

Francis Ngannou downed Tyson Fury in the third round
Francis Ngannou downed Tyson Fury in the third round

Speaking at Monday night’s press conference officially announcing the fight, the 34-year-old promised an “explosive” contest.

He said: “Every fight leads to somewhere, so this fight is my everything and we will see where it leads me.

“My main focus is Ngannou and getting through an intense training camp.

“I have got to take his mind and his spirit, it will be explosive. We can both trade and it will be a good fight.”

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Gypsy King Tyson Fury revealed his concern and what the fight with Oleksandr Usyk could cost him

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Ricky Hatton has raised a concern over Tyson Fury ahead of his mega undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

Hatton reckons Fury’s ‘lifestyle’ could mean he has ‘too many miles on the clock’ heading into the bout.

Fury and Usyk will finally step into the ring in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 17.

The pair have been trash-talking each other for a couple of years but the fight was finally signed last November.

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk
Tyson Fury will fight Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia in February

They will put all their belts on the line in one of the most eagerly-anticipated matches in modern boxing history.

Hatton then hopes Fury will enter the ring with fellow Brit Anthony Joshua at some point in the future.

However, he has concerns that Fury’s past may eventually catch up with him.

The 35-year-old has not been shy in detailing his huge weight loss during his break away from the sport.

Fury has since returned and had 10 fights since 2018, including a trilogy against Deontay Wilder.

Fury was sluggish last time out against Francis Ngannou.

And Hatton is worried about possible long-term effects Fury could be suffering from.

He told OLBG: “You don’t get a bigger fight [than Fury v Joshua].

“It’s one of the biggest fights in British boxing history. It’s a great clash of styles.

“Tyson’s always in entertaining fights, so is AJ [Joshua], and it was only a couple of fights ago we thought [Joshua’s] best days were behind him but in his last couple of fights, he has looked really impressive.

Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou
Tyson Fury struggled in his last fight against Francis Ngannou

“But Tyson on the other hand has been the best heavyweight for a good number of years and I still have him as number one, but we just need to know what Tyson has got left.

“Don’t forget it’s not just the three Wilder fights, it’s the lifestyle he’s had as well where he’s had to lose ten stone in the past and what it does to the body and then having them three wars with Deontay Wilder.

“It might be too many miles on the clock for Tyson or maybe he took him lightly because he didn’t look in the best shape.”

Many felt MMA fighter Ngannou deserved the judges’ decision against Fury in his first professional boxing fight last October.

Ngannou will face Joshua in Saudi Arabia in March.

But he has firmly his eyes set on a rematch with Fury by October this year.

Ngannou told MMA Fighting: “I win this fight [against Joshua] and I’m fighting Fury period.

“Whether or not he has the belt. Our rematch term was within next year, so it’s going to be October this year.

“I just want to be free and fight, the thing is with the title is this is a system I don’t want to fall into anymore.

“You have to make a concession with an organization, I don’t want that political stuff.”

Anthony Joshua
Ricky Hatton has doubts over a future Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua fight

Ngannou said in a separate interview with TMZ Sports: “I’m not looking for the winner of Tyson Fury (and Usyk). I’m looking for Tyson.

“Tyson owes me a fight. I don’t give a s**t about the winner of Usyk and Tyson. I’m coming after Tyson. Win or lose, I want Tyson.”

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BOXING

Deontay Wilder plots route back to Anthony Joshua fight despite surprise defeat

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Wilder ruined his chances of fighting Joshua by losing to Joseph Parker last month but he thinks the mega-fight can be rescued with one win against a big name

Deontay Wilder wants to fight on the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou card to try and rescue his mega-fight with the Brit.

Deontay Wilder's manager confirms plans for stunning fight on Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou undercard | The Sun

Wilder’s two-fight deal with ‘AJ’ went down the drain last month after he lost to Joseph Parker just moments before Joshua knocked out Otto Wallin. Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has since taken Wilder’s place in the heavyweight equation as he will fight Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia.

Zhilei Zhang has been touted as a potential opponent for Wilder but the fight is far from official. Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel thinks the American can redeem himself after his poor performance with one win against a big name. “ If there was an opportunity, we’d be glad to consider it. We’d love to go back there and love to be on that card if it’s possible,” he told The Sun.

“You can’t tell in advance, but I’d assume that Joshua would beat Ngannou. Then hopefully, we’ll see the Deontay of old and he wins. Of course, if those two were to happen, it would still be natural for Deontay and Joshua to meet.” Finkel used Daniel Dubois as an example of a fighter bouncing back to winning ways as he stopped Jarrell Miller following his world title loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

“Go back two fights. People were saying Daniel Dubois was a quitter. He sure didn’t quit against Jarrell Miller and redeemed himself. Three fights ago, people said things about Joshua. He looked very good in his fight with Wallin and that redeemed himself in the same way. In a similar situation, Deontay has a good opponent in the next fight and he looks the way we know him to look,” Finkel added.

“We would love Parker but that hasn’t been discussed. In either case, if Zhang was presented, that would be a big fight. If that was on the same card as the fight with Joshua and Ngannou, I think Deontay and Zhang would rival that. It would be a phenomenal show for the public again. I think the job that they did putting on all the heavyweights together on that card was wonderful.”

Wilder isn’t in Joshua’s plans for now as the Brit wants to beat Ngannou and challenge either Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight world titles. Ngannou is also targeting a rematch against Fury after controversially losing to the Brit in their crossover fight last October.

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BOXING

Pictured: Anthony Joshua takes on liger in tug-of-war battle

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The two-time world heavyweight champion met his match as he wrestled with the large feline at an exotic zoo in Dubai

The British fighter was pictured pushing against the liger's enclosure during a tug-of-war match
The British fighter was pictured using the bars of the liger’s enclosure for support

Anthony Joshua has been photographed taking on a liger during a game of tug-of-war at Fame Park private zoo in Dubai.

The two-time world heavyweight champion met his match in the large feline and was pictured afterwards holding a sign that read “I lost”.

Anthony Joshua holds a sign reading 'I lost' after a tug-of-war match against a liger in a Dubai zoo
Anthony Joshua after his defeat against the liger
Joshua is photographed here alongside Dr Saif Belhasa, the billionaire owner of the Fame Park zoo
Joshua alongside Dr Saif Belhasa, the billionaire owner of the Fame Park zoo
The boxer received the chance to bottle feed a young lion during his visit to the invite-only park in Dubai
he boxer bottle-fed a young lion during his visit to the invite-only park

Ligers, which are the hybrid offspring of a male lion and female tiger, only exist in captivity and are the largest known cats in the world.

This particular animal also recently defeated Steven Seagal, the Hollywood action star, in a similar tug-of-war match at the zoo.

Joshua enjoyed a tour of the invite-only exotic animal park owned by billionaire Dr Saif Belhasa alongside Alessandro Del Piero, the Italian footballing legend.

The British fighter was also granted rare access to feed some of the animals during the visit and was pictured alongside bears, lions, a giant python and a crocodile.

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Anthony Joshua’s prediction for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk

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AJ will be watching next month, and he’s finally made his official pick for the superfight in the heavyweight division.

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has finally made his official prediction for the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk superfight taking place next month, and he’s gone with his former opponent Usyk to get the job done, as per Boxing Social.

Boxing: Anthony Joshua Rises In Latest Heavyweight Rankings

When asked about the unification fight, which will take place on the 17th of February for all the heavyweight gold, AJ said: “I don’t know. “I’ve fought Usyk. I think he’s a phenomenal fighter and I think he has a great team around him.

“You’re only as good as your team, and he has a great team around him. After being in the ring with him and studying him, still studying him now, I think he’s the one to edge it. Probably because of his experiences, his ring generalship, and ring craft. I think he’s top-tier.”

Anthony Joshua & Tyson Fury don’t see eye-to-eye
It is not surprising that Anthony Joshua has come out and publicly backed the Ukrainian fighter, after supposedly being continually disrespected by Fury in the past.

“I don’t know, but I’m team Usyk anyway,” he confirmed. “[There’s] a respect, but Fury’s said a lot of bad things about me. I’m never going to ride with someone that disrespects me. That would make me a lunatic, and I’m pretty level-headed. So I’m going to go with the person who shows me respect.”

Despite tension between Fury and Joshua, they have never actually fought. Many boxing fans have called for a fight, proposing what would undoubtedly be the biggest fight in British boxing history, but for one reason or another, it’s a fight that has simply never been made. We came so, so close the other year, but Deontay Wilder had other plans, activating his right for a rematch against Fury, which all-but ended discussions of an all-British heavyweight superfight.

Anthony Joshua: Briton to face ex-UFC fighter Ngannou in Saudi Arabia, confirms promoter Hearn - BBC Sport

AJ knows what Usyk can bring to the ring
Joshua lost both fights to Usyk via the judges’ scorecards
Despite not sharing the ring with The Gypsy King, Joshua has got experience of fighting Uysk, on two separate occasions, to be exact. The former cruiserweight world champion is a seasoned winner, never tasting defeat in his professional career and defeating AJ both times they’ve faced off. The first fight was won via unanimous decision, and the rematch was then won via split decision, showcasing just how good the Ukrainian really is.

The much awaited fight will take place next month, on the 17th of February, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, with fans, fighters, and experts alike all being split on their predictions of who will become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

‘The Gypsy King’ has more experience than Usyk, despite only being one year older, and has won 13 more fights than his upcoming opponent, however, both boxers have never lost. The Brit, though, has drawn once to Wilder, with Usyk never having drawn and always leaving the ring victorious.

Usyk’s strengths lie in his technical brilliance, fast footwork, and creativity, and he often relies on accumulative damage over knockouts to defeat his opponents. Fury, on the other hand, has obvious height and reach advantages, and is somewhat an unpredictable fighter. He carefully studies and tailors his boxing style to each opponent, and has a diverse technical ability which could pose a problem for Usyk.

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Anthony Joshua “switched off” after Deontay Wilder’s loss to Joseph Parker

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Joshua was set for a two-fight deal against longtime rival Wilder but the American scuppered the plans when he shockingly lost to Parker last month

Anthony Joshua lost focus after Deontay Wilder scuppered plans of their $100million two-fight deal by losing to Joseph Parke.

Anthony Joshua - IMDb

Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua was expected to fight Wilder after his win against Otto Wallin last month, but the American suffered a shocking defeat to Parker at the same event. Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has now replaced Wilder in the heavyweight equation as he fights Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia.

‘AJ’ enjoyed a well-deserved holiday after his win against Wallin but had to cut it short and fly back to the UK after his fight announcement with Ngannou. Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, has admitted the Brit switched off for a brief period when his fight with Wilder fell apart.

Carl Frampton and Lennox Lewis break down Deontay Wilder 'poor performance' in Joseph Parker defeat - 'Zero urgency' - Eurosport

“AJ didn’t need a lot of convincing for the Ngannou fight, he is on a roll at the moment,” Hearn said on The MMA Hour. “He feels good after the Wallin fight. I think after Wilder lost, he kind of switched off for a week or 10 days. He had to cut his holiday short a few days ago to fly back and start camp.”

“He was going to do that anyway for Wilder, but I think when Wilder lost he maybe just switched off a little bit so he needed to switch back on. In Ngannou’s mind, this is the toughest fight of his career. Francis is a very dangerous man and they will be training with every ounce of their soul to be victorious.”

Anthony Joshua - Wikipedia

Joshua wants to beat Ngannou to set up a fight against the winner of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight world titles. ‘AJ’ has changed his tune on facing Ngannou having previously dismissed the “gimmicky” fight whilst discussing Ngannou’s crossover bout with Fury.

“It’s not a great look losing to Francis Ngannou and he’s going to do everything he can to avoid that. It’s never anything we anticipated because we presumed we were fighting Wilder in March. The only time I talked about Ngannou was after the Fury fight, but we didn’t get anywhere,” Hearn added.

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Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou signed as Saudi Arabia’s boxing takeover continues

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Ex-UFC champion Ngannou made his pro boxing debut in October, knocking down Tyson Fury before losing a controversial decision

A boxing match between Anthony Joshua and former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has been made official, as Saudi Arabia’s boxing takeover continues.

Combat-sports journalist Ariel Helwani reported the news on Friday (5 January), citing Turki Al-Sheikh – the Saudi adviser overseeing boxing in the region. Queensberry Promotions, which works closely with Al-Sheikh, then confirmed the news and stated that a press conference will take place soon.

Joshua boxed in Riyadh in December, stopping Otto Wallin in the main event of a seismic fight card, two months after Ngannou made his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury in the same city.

Francis Ngannou looks back at 2023 and reflects on the dark side of the MMA business | Marca

Mixed martial artist Ngannou, 37, lost a controversial decision to Fury after knocking down the WBC heavyweight champion, and he is now set to fight another Briton in Joshua.

The date of the contest is expected to be announced next week, and the fight is due to be held in Riyadh. According to Helwani, the bout will be scheduled for 10 rounds.

Joshua, 34, beat Wallin via fifth-round TKO after the Swede’s corner pulled him from the fight, marking “AJ”’s third win from as many bouts in 2023. That trio of victories has marked an emphatic response by Joshua to his back-to-back defeats by Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua’s second reign as unified heavyweight champion came to an end at the hands of Usyk in 2021, when the Ukrainian won via decision in London. The unbeaten Usyk also outpointed Joshua in 2022, in Saudi Arabia, to retain the belts.

Usyk has since signed to fight Fury, also unbeaten, in Riyadh in February, with the winner set to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years. Fury’s WBC belt will be on the line – unlike in his bout with Ngannou – as will Usyk’s WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles.

<p>Ngannou mocks Tyson Fury after knocking down the boxer</p>
Ngannou mocks Tyson Fury after knocking down the boxer

Ngannou held the UFC heavyweight title from 2021 until 2022, before vacating the gold while leaving the UFC in 2023. The Cameroonian soon signed with the Professional Fighters League, a rival MMA promotion to the UFC, which has allowed him to box ahead of his debut in the company.

Joshua was expected to fight Deontay Wilder after beating Wallin, but the American lost a lopsided decision against Joseph Parker on the same fight card, seemingly ruining the chances of a mega-fight between AJ and Wilder. It was then suggested that AJ would target a bout with Filip Hrgovic, likely for the IBF heavyweight title, if the Fury vs Usyk winner were to vacate the belt.

It is unclear what Friday’s news means for a potential Joshua vs Hrgovic bout.

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Otto Wallin Reveals The Extent Of Damage Caused By Anthony Joshua Fight

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Swedish heavyweight contender Otto Wallin said Anthony Joshua was ‘past his peak’ before their fight, but was taught a quick lesson when the Brit turned up as good as he has looked in some time.

Joshua dominated from the opening bell, picking his shots with tremendous precision and measured aggression, forcing Wallin to retire on his stool with blood around his nose following the fifth-round. It was ‘AJ’s a first back-to-back knockout win since 2017.

In an interview with Boxing News, Wallin cleared up news of his injury and showed support for his trainer, Joey Gamache, who made the decision to pull him out of the contest.

“I have a fracture on my nose, it’s not completely broken, but it’s fractured.”

“I noticed that I was bleeding but when you are in the fight you have so much adrenaline and it was early in the fight. I noticed that it was uncomfortable but I don’t think it made a big difference.”

“I didn’t disagree with him [when he chose to pull me out], Joey [Gamache] told me that he was going to stop it and I didn’t say anything. Joey has been with me for ten years, he has seen me in training and almost all of my fights and he has never pulled me out of anything, so I trust Joey, he is always looking out for me and I feel very happy that I have a trainer who puts my health first. There is a life after boxing, so I am very appreciative that he is looking out for me.”

Joshua’s win seems to have lined him up for a fight with Filip Hrgovic and a possible IBF Vacant Title as he seeks to become just the fifth three-time heavyweight champion of all-time.

Wallin, at 33 and with losses to just Joshua and Tyson Fury, will take stock and come back this year.

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Heavyweight Rival Urges Anthony Joshua To Face Him Next: “The Whole UK Would Watch”

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Anthony Joshua now has a target on his back once more having rebuilt well in 2023 with three victories over Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin.

Many contenders now want a shot once more as the Brit looks to become a three-time world champion and one man in particular who is keen on the ‘AJ’ fight is 40-year-old Chinese heavyweight, Zhilei Zhang.

Big Bang’ fought and lost to Joshua back in the amateurs. He had a big 2023 himself, with impressive back-to-back knockout wins over Joe Joyce to ensure he kept his mandatory status with the WBO and very much put himself into the picture for more big fights.

Speaking to FightHype, Zhang explained why he should be next for the Brit.

“When you look at Joshua’s potential fight with [Fillip] Hrgovic it doesn’t make that much commercial sense. If he comes to me the whole of China, the UK and the Middle East would be watching.”

He then calmed the fact he is a southpaw makes it another good reason to get it on.

“Joshua’s previous opponents have been southpaw, Usyk’s southpaw, Otto Wallin’s southpaw, he’s comfortable and really been good at beating southpaws and I’m a southpaw so let’s get it. Credit to Parker, but I want Joshua next.”

It is fair to say this fight would generate plenty of interest around the world and would represent a stiff challenge for Joshua. His promoter Eddie Hearn has said he will be back in March, and Zhang is one of the names on the table.

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