"He can be hurt" - Ricky Hatton weighs in on Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou
Briitish boxing legend Ricky Hatton has weighed in on Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou.
Next month in Saudi Arabia, 'AJ' is expected to meet 'The Predator' in one of the biggest boxing matches of the year. For both men, the fight is a bit of a turning point in their careers. Joshua hopes to earn a title shot with the victory and continue his winning ways.
Meanwhile, the former UFC champion isn't as focused on the gold. Instead, Ngannou is solely focused on earning a rematch with Tyson Fury. Last October, he famously knocked down 'The Gypsy King', and nearly upset him.
Ultimately, the British boxer still emerged with a split-decision win that night. However, Hatton feels that Ngannou showed something that night in Saudi Arabia. Speaking in a recent interview with OLGB, 'The Hitman' previewed the bout.
In the interview, Hatton declined to offer a prediction for Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou. However, it's clear that the Brit feels that while 'AJ' has the boxing ability to win, one can't discount the MMA fighter's power.
Speaking in the interview, Hatton stated (via Boxing Scene):
"AJ is a very good boxer and is known for his explosiveness and his power, but you don’t become an Olympic gold medallist and a two-time heavyweight champion of the world without the ability that Joshua has. But on the downside, he can be hurt, knocked down and stopped and when you think of the size and punching power Ngannou has got, there’s every chance he could knock AJ out."
Who is expected to win in Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou? Current betting odds
The betting odds for Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou largely agree with Ricky Hatton.
For his boxing debut last October, 'The Predator' was an astronomical underdog. Naturally, nearly upsetting Tyson Fury changed the minds of many. However, some have speculated that 'The Gypsy King' simply had an off night.
That being said, Ngannou is once again the underdog for his boxing return. According to the current betting line from MGM, Joshua is a sizeable -450 favorite. Meanwhile, Ngannou returns as a slight +333 underdog.
It's worth noting that the MMA fighter's training camp does look vastly different this time around. Instead of training with Eric Nicksick and Xtreme Couture, he's instead moved to Saudi Arabia to train full-time with Dewey Cooper.
Furthermore, the great 'Iron' Mike Tyson isn't expected to be in Ngannou's corner this time around. While all these factors don't help the MMA fighter, he can't be counted out.