5 best boxing opponents for Francis Ngannou after Tyson Fury
Francis Ngannou may have lost, at least on paper, to Tyson Fury in his first-ever boxing match, but he won in the eyes of many fans and even other fighters. His stock rose after his admirable performance against Fury, which featured a knockdown along with stretches of shocking control.
Ahead of the bout, hardly anyone gave Ngannou a chance of beating Fury. However, after the fight, there have been calls of a 'robbery', with many asserting that Ngannou was unjustly deprived of a win he rightfully earned. Some have even demanded that 'The Predator' be given an official top 10 ranking.
In the aftermath of the match, Francis Ngannou looks set to become a fixture in heavyweight boxing, with some advising him against returning to MMA. If he does as suggested, which matchups await him after his success against Tyson Fury?
#5. Francis Ngannou vs. Andy Ruiz
Francis Ngannou and Andy Ruiz share something in common.
Back in 2019, the Mexican heavyweight gained worldwide fame for stunning a then-undefeated Anthony Joshua and handing him his first-ever loss, which is similar to what many feel Ngannou accomplished against Fury, another unbeaten boxer.
Furthermore, as was the case for Ngannou against Fury, no one gave Ruiz much of a chance of beating Joshua, and the bout result was ruled a historic upset. If 'The Predator' wants to test the waters of the heavyweight boxing division, a tune-up fight of sorts against Andy Ruiz could serve him well while he awaits bigger matchups.
Furthermore, Ruiz has never been knocked out in his career, and Ngannou holds the world record for the hardest punch ever measured. Their bout would be a clash between an unstoppable force and an immovable object that would generate intrigue among fans. Least of all, Ruiz is not so skilled that he'd outbox Ngannou.
#4. Francis Ngannou vs. Oleksandr Usyk
Before the bout took place, one of the most perplexing events ahead of it was the announcement of the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk matchup. It raised several eyebrows, including Francis Ngannou's, as it seemed premature given that Fury's fight with the Cameroonian knockout artist hadn't taken place yet.
However, it was clear that Fury did not consider Ngannou capable of derailing the matchup with Usyk in any way. He expected an easy win, in which he'd take no damage. Instead, the opposite happened, and Fury's stock fell. Usyk, as were many boxers and celebrities, was in attendance for the fight.
After watching Ngannou's performance against Fury, a more intriguing bout in many people's eyes is Ngannou vs. Usyk, as the former is regarded as the true winner of the fight with Fury.
#3. Francis Ngannou vs. Deontay Wilder
Tyson Fury is notoriously difficult to negotiate with. So, before his boxing match with Francis Ngannou being made official, despite a prior tease, another opponent was considered for 'The Predator's' boxing debut.
Deontay Wilder is widely regarded as one of the most powerful punchers in boxing history. Furthermore, he expressed interest in facing Ngannou in both MMA and boxing. It seemed like the potential for it was real after Wilder took part in PFL promotional material by appearing at events.
While Ngannou ultimately faced Fury, a fight with Wilder is now back on the table and the two sides are allegedly already in talks.
The intrigue behind the bout is simple. The Wilder camp feels that he won the first fight with Fury due to scoring multiple knockdowns, while alleging that the referee gave Fury a slow count to spare him a knockout loss. Meanwhile, Ngannou has asserted that he too was robbed versus Fury.
Least of all, both men are vicious knockout artists, and fans would be interested in seeing which of the two can flatline the other. Wilder also doesn't represent as big of a skill-based challenge as other boxers might.
#2. Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua
After the conclusion of Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn was highly critical of 'The Gypsy King's' performance. He claimed that, despite all of his accolades, Fury looked like he was the novice boxer against someone who was making his boxing debut.
Hearn stopped short of truly praising Ngannou for his efforts, and implied that his success was because Fury wasn't good enough. Regardless, he teased a matchup between the former UFC heavyweight champion and former two-time unified heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua.
Hearn claimed that Joshua, who was once dismissive of Ngannou, would beat him handily. The fact that Hearn, who promotes Joshua, expressed interest in a bout with Ngannou is telling enough.
And the fact that he is underestimating the Cameroonian superstar like Fury did gives Ngannou another chance to humble the boxing world.
#1. Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury 2
The unfortunate truth is that Francis Ngannou's first bout with Tyson Fury ended in controversy, with some taking away from his performance by claiming that Fury either looked off or hadn't trained properly for the bout due to underestimating Ngannou. Meanwhile, many feel that Ngannou was robbed of a rightful win.
Had Fury's WBC heavyweight title been up for grabs in the bout, it would have added further fuel to the fire of all the robbery claims. So, in light of what happened, the only solution to put all of the clashing takes after the fight to rest would be to book a rematch between Ngannou and Fury.
Not only will it draw significant fan attention, including many who believe the Cameroonian was wronged by the judges, it offers both men a chance to prove one of two claims: that either Ngannou is just that good or Fury had an off night.