"He essentially did zero" - Former boxing champion explains why Francis Ngannou didn't win against Tyson Fury despite 'robbery' claims
Shawn Porter has weighed in on Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou.
'The Gypsy King' and 'The Predator' faced off in a high-profile heavyweight clash last month in Saudi Arabia. The fight was the first boxing match of Ngannou's life, and he did much better than expected.
In round three, the MMA fighter scored a rare knockdown of the Brit. While Fury showed his trademark heart and chin by fighting on, he failed to get out of first gear. For the most part, the British boxer was forced to stick behind a jab to reach the scorecards.
On the scorecards, Francis Ngannou suffered a split decision loss to Tyson Fury. While a great performance in his boxing debut, many felt that the MMA fighter deserved the nod. Since the bout, Ngannou has repeatedly stated that he was "robbed."
However, Shawn Porter doesn't agree with that assessment. During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, the former champion was asked about the result. There, he praised Ngannou but also added:
"Unfortunately, even though Ngannou showed himself, again, to be very strong, showed himself to be prepared for this fight, he also showed he does not have enough boxing mechanics to win enough rounds to beat Tyson Fury. His lack of experience showed because there were rounds where he essentially did zero to win those rounds. If he's able to find a pace, he's gonna get some heavyweight fighters some trouble because he's big enough to fight there."
Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou: Will there be a rematch?
Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou 2 will likely happen, but not next.
This result was a massively important one for 'The Gypsy King'. While he avoided one of the biggest upset losses in boxing history with a split-decision win, it also kept alive his bout with Oleksandr Usyk.
The British boxer is currently expected to meet 'The Cat' in February. As a result, that will make a possible rematch with Francis Ngannou out of reach for the moment. Since fight night, 'The Predator' has repeatedly called for a second clash.
During a recent interview with TNT Sports, Fury confirmed his plans to give him one in the future. He stated:
“No, he was what I thought he would be. I thought he would have a puncher’s chance like the rest of them. Listen, he was a good fighter and we’ll probably have a rematch down the line somewhere. Who’d have thought it?”