Deontay Wilder has weighed in on Francis Ngannou’s first boxing effort against a man he knows well – Tyson Fury.
Wilder and Fury are two parts of one of the most thrilling trilogies in the modern era, perhaps ever, with Fury coming out on top with the WBC world title and Wilder left with nothing but a bitter taste in his mouth.
Fury has since defended the belt twice, but puts his duties as champion on hold this weekend to face former UFC titlist, Ngannou, in the squared circle.
It’s that bad blood that Wilder harbours for Fury that may have informed his prediction for the fight. In a clip shared by Overtime Boxing, the 37-year-old backed the massive underdog to cause the upset and be the first man to keep ‘The Gypsy King’ down.
“I knocked him out. I’m going with Ngannou, for sure. Hell yeah we’re going with the knockout. Let’s go Ngannou!”
Wilder was once in the running to fight the hard-hitting mixed martial artist, but instead choose to pursue a fight with Anthony Joshua.
Taking to Instagram, Fury responded calling his former foe a ‘spaghetti-legged proper sausage.’
Much of the focus on the fight is whether or not Ngannou’s power will transfer from the cage to the ring, with most observers believing it will be much less effective given the lack of traditional boxing technique behind the punches.
Another plus point for Fury is that he did take Wilder’s power. The Brit was knocked down four times over the course of their three fights, ultimately drawing one and winning two by stoppage.
If ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is the hardest hitter that boxing has seen for some time – as he himself claims – Ngannou’s lack of training may leave him with no hope at all.
Coming through unscathed for Fury means an undisputed bout against Oleksandr Usyk next.