"I think he wins the fight by stoppage" - Despite "nervous" jitters, Eddie Hearn backs Anthony Joshua to knock out Francis Ngannou
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has weighed in on the upcoming clash between Anthony Joshua and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Hearn recently did an interview with 'GIVEMESPORT.COM' where he shared his thoughts on the highly anticipated showdown. The boxing promoter shared that the footage of Ngannou's fight against Tyon Fury might prove beneficial for them.
Hearn added that although he was nervous about how the fight would unravel, he picked 'AJ' to emerge victorious via knockout:
“It's a Jeopardy fight. The good news is we've got 10 rounds of footage now. Fury had no footage. But you've still only got 10 rounds. It's easier to break things down, but he's still an unknown quantity and that's what makes it difficult, and he can punch, and he is strong, and he's got all these attributes. So you've got to take him really, really seriously."
"I think it’s going to be a great fight. I'm nervous, very nervous, but I believe AJ will do the business. I think if AJ is disciplined, but brutal, I think he wins the fight by stoppage.”
After making waves with his boxing debut, Ngannou will make his sophomore boxing appearance on March 8 against Joshua. The fight will consist of 10 rounds and will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Francis Ngannou speaks about Anthony Joshua's punching power
During a recent appearance on the High Performance podcast, Francis Ngannou shared his opinion on Anthony Joshua's striking ability.
The Cameroonian said that although 'AJ's punching power was unknown, he did not consider it to be a big threat to him in their fight:
"We don’t know the strength of Anthony Joshua, but even though I don’t believe he has that strength, but we’re going to find out. We’re going to find out, and I think the reverse is going to happen. I’m going to be the one taking his soul."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below (55:05):
Ngannou is known for his devastating punching power. During his stint in the UFC, 'The Predator' knocked out several prominent names like Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Jairzinho Rozensruik, Curtis Blaydes, and Andrei Arlovski.
In his boxing debut, Ngannou also scored a knockdown against Tyson Fury.