Joe Joyce has declared Francis Ngannou as a wild card in Anthony Joshua’s upcoming fight.
Francis Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, recently made his boxing debut against undefeated WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, securing a nearly upset win in his first fight.
Cameroonian Ngannou surprised Fury with a left hook in the third frame of their 10-round non-title fight, sending him to the deck. He eventually lost a close split decision in a fight some thought he won. British contender Joe ‘Juggernaut’ Joyce sparred rounds with Ngannou in Las Vegas, stating that he could see where the shots were coming from and keep him on the jab. However, power shots whistered past Joyce’s abs and chin, causing a good spar and gaining respect for Ngannou.
Ngannou returns to action this weekend against Anthony Joshua at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Joshua believes he has a real shot at doing damage and believes he will be cagey in the fight. He boxed well against Tyson Fury and is a bit of a wild card. In the main support bout, Zhilei ‘Big Bang’ Zhang will take on former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker. Joyce knows both men well, having knocked out New Zealand’s Parker in September 2022 and being knocked out twice himself by Zhang in their pair of battles in April and September of last year. Parker, 32, is riding a four-fight win streak since the loss to Joyce, including an impressive points victory over former WBC champion Deontay Wilder in his last outing in December. Joyce believes that Parker, a younger fighter than Zhang, could potentially knock him out if he can push him to later rounds and gets tired. Parker can be a bit more of a mover, but Zhang’s static feet may make him more of a standout.
