Who is next for Anthony Joshua?

[TIC]

I will be ringside, elbows on the apron tomorrow night...unfortunately not in Saudi though (I am covering England Youth / Amateurs on a small local card for the paper.)


May make it back in time for the main event but Parker /Zhang might end up as the fight to watch.


Joshua can't win really. If he stops Ngannou early with a brutal KO or one-sided TKO and a ref intervention, watch the naysayers tell us how that was the least he should have done with a novice, especially after the almighty Fury did him a favour by underestimating the man mountain and making Joshua take him seriously. If he wins wide on points, AJ will get no credit for not having a glass chin and standing up to some inevitable shipped punches, and will be called timid and accused of running etc. Ngannou doesn't seem like he is likely to be too worried about being tagged after getting clobbered regularly in the UFC and taking everything Fury (not a big puncher) could throw at him so a points win seems more likely. Joshua can certainly outbox him but it is actually probably more hazardous to not go in for the finish if he gets the chance. In the clinches, Ngannou will be the heavier and stronger man with the skills to tire even a boxing pro with Joshua's pedigree, so Joshua needs to jump on him early if there are any signs of a wobble. There is punching and punching, and an uppercut from Joshua is enough to turn anyone's lights off if he connects clean.

Wish Fenster was here to tell us where the betting value lay as I quite fancy a flutter on this card.

i put some money on an aj knockout (you might want to wait until almost fight time though because i think late money wll come in on francis) & some on joseph parker by decision which looked good value

[X]

Ngannou is a big strong tough unit, who surprised everyone with the level of his basic boxing skills. Great chin too.

Sort of a 21st century ‘Two Ton’ Tony Galento. He had a good career and surprised Joe Louis a couple of times in their fight.

Trouble is that Fury didn’t take him remotely seriously, was seriously undertrained and found it hard to go up the gears when he needed to.

Ngannounwill always have a punchers chance against someone perceived to be vulnerable, but I’m not sure it is in Joshua’s nature to undertrain and there is now no longer an element of surprise around Ngannou.

Unless Francis miraculously times Joshua, or if AJ gasses even quicker than Francis, the this looks like a mid rounds stoppage to me in favour of Joshua

Now watch me proven totally wrong