Many believe Muhammad Ali is the greatest fighter of all time, and Claressa Shields has given a current heavyweight the highest of praise by comparing him to the boxing legend.
Shields has christened herself the ‘GWOAT’ – greatest woman of all time – and there are few who would currently argue against her case. Looking to the mens side of the sport, she believes there’s one current champion who is deserving of the same praise.
When asked by ES News about Francis Ngannou’s chances against Fury this autumn, Shields stated she believes the Brit is invincible at the moment, before drawing comparisons with ‘The Greatest.’
“That [Fury vs Ngannou] is a very interesting match up. I believe Tyson Fury cannot be beat in the heavyweight division. He’s like a white Muhammad Ali!”
“Francis Ngannou is not a boxer, he’s an MMA fighter. He won’t be able to kick, he won’t be able to do any of that. Even though he might have heavy punches, his boxing IQ probably won’t be there.”
“I think Tyson Fury will do what he always does. He’ll go in there, land big punches, use his jab and bounce around and win fights.”
“Hopefully Ngannou can get some really good training and be prepared.”
The recently announced fight between Fury and former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou has split opinion in the combat sports world, and certainly raised more than a few eyebrows.
The pair have been linked to a bout for over a year now, ever since Ngannou took to the ring following Fury’s stoppage victory over Dillian Whyte last April.
Despite how long ‘The Gypsy King has been in his crosshairs, few are giving Ngannou much of a chance on October 28 in Riyadh, especially given the lack of success MMA fighters have had in boxing outings in recent years.