Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has made his prediction as to when Anthony Joshua will be able to do what Tyson Fury couldn’t and stop former UFC sensation Francis Ngannou.
The Cameroonian almost pulled off the upset of the century when he lost a split-decision to ‘The Gypsy King’ after knocking the Brit down in the third-round.
That fight appears to have opened the door for ‘The Predator’ to continue in major boxing fights in 2024, so much so that Joshua has delayed a potential world title shot against Filip Hrgovic in order to face him.
‘AJ’ emphatically dominated and knocked out Otto Wallin last month, another opponent of Fury’s who took him the distance, and Joshua will seek to do a similar job on Ngannou, as he pursues a shot at the undisputed heavyweight title.
In an interview with Matchroom Boxing, Hearn declared that he expects the fight to last no longer than eight rounds, as he continued to show respect for Joshua’s opponent, despite criticism of the fighter from high-profile figures in the sport.
“I do [believe that Anthony Joshua knocks out Francis Ngannou]. I believe that he is going to wear him down and chop him down and by the end of the eighth round this fight will be over and Anthony Joshua will be ready to fight for the undisputed world championship.”
The card will take place on Friday March 8th in Riyadh, topping yet another stellar Saudi bill that features a mouth-watering affair between Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker, as well as a WBC featherweight world title showdown between Rey Vargas and Nick Ball.