Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou press conference highlights: 'The Predator' to hunt for AJ's chin and more
After Francis Ngannou nearly stunned the world and upset Tyson Fury, the former UFC champion will officially be back in the ring against Anthony Joshua on March 8.
In anticipation of the big fight, the two top-10 heavyweights met in London for the promotional press conference. Joshua and Ngannou were joined on stage by Eddie Hearn, Frank Warren, Dewey Cooper, and Josh Denzel.
Though the interactions between Joshua and Ngannou were not as fierce as those from the Fury vs. Ngannou press conference, both men exuded their confidence with slight jabs at each other. Shortly after their meeting concluded, Ngannou tweeted his excitement with a post of their first face-off.
Joshua and Ngannou will meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the same location as Ngannou's boxing debut against Fury. The fight poster marketed the event as 'Knockout Chaos,' which has already begun trending on X.
Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Frank Warren dismisses Oscar De La Hoya at event press conference
Though the bulk of the focus on Jan. 15 was on Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua, boxing promoter Frank Warren did not miss an opportunity to disregard a previous statement from Oscar De La Hoya.
In discussing his excitement for the fight, Warren praised the state of boxing as a whole. Warren called the current era in the sport the 'golden age of boxing' before noting his 'disappointment' at De La Hoya for an Instagram post just hours before.
Warren said:
"We are in the golden age of boxing, without a doubt. And if anybody doesn't want to be onboard then they're a fool. I'm very disappointed that Oscar should say what he said. He should know better than that. This is great for the sport."
Warren's reference to De La Hoya stems from the former champion criticizing the current state of boxing, claiming its participants do not "know the business."
The promoter continued to call the Joshua vs. Ngannou fight 'brilliant,' claiming that it was 'boxing heaven' for fans.
Francis Ngannou declares intent to 'test' Anthony Joshua's chin
Though it comes as no surprise that Francis Ngannou intends to claim his first knockout victory in boxing, 'The Predator' continues to create a narrative that Anthony Joshua does not have a chin.
A reporter brought up a previous statement from the PFL fighter claiming that Joshua had a questionable chin, allowing Ngannou to double down on the take. Ngannou respectfully declared that he had heard rumors of Joshua's lack of durability and plans to 'test it out' for himself.
Ngannou said:
"Of course, in a fight, you try to hit someone in the chin, or wherever you can hit them. Yes, I heard that he doesn't have a chin. I don't know if it's true or not. We're gonna find out. I hope that I get the opportunity to test that out. That's my wish."
Joshua did not appear bothered by the comment in the slightest as he continued to no-sell Ngannou as a threat to his career. When asked his thoughts of Ngannou as an opponent, Joshua simply said:
"No problem."
The former WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO heavyweight champion made it a point to state his focus on his current fight camp, claiming not to be worried about any thoughts of regaining the belts.
Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou winner reported to face winner of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk
Following the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou London press conference, additional stakes have seemingly been added to the high-profile heavyweight bout.
With the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk heavyweight unification bout occurring just one month prior to 'Knockout Chaos,' many have speculated that the winners of the two big events could face each other later in 2024. Eddie Hearn floated the idea during the press conference regarding its potential influence on boxing.
Shortly after, Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh appeared on stage to announce that he fully intends to make the matchup a reality. Alalshikh told Joshua and Ngannou that he wanted to show them what was 'waiting' for the winner before displaying a graphic of the undisputed title fight on screen.
It has been rumored that a rematch clause is a part of the Joshua vs. Ngannou contract, but such reports have not been confirmed.
Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou full press conference
Watch the full video of the Joshua vs. Ngannou press conference below: