"It's like politics" - Undefeated former boxer claims Francis Ngannou doesn't deserve current top-10 rank in WBC
Undefeated former boxer Andre Ward doesn't believe that Francis Ngannou's performance against Tyson Fury warranted a top-10 ranking in the WBC.
Ngannou made his professional boxing debut against 'The Gypsy King' in a bout titled the 'Battle of the Baddest' in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last month. What was expected to be a routine victory for Fury proved anything but as 'The Predator' delivered a jaw-dropping performance.
The former UFC heavyweight champ went toe-to-toe with Tyson Fury across all 10 rounds and even dropped the British champion in Round 3. Despite a valiant effort by the Cameroonian, Fury was given the nod via a highly controversial split decision by the judges.
It was then announced last week that although he came up short on the night, Francis Ngannou had entered the WBC rankings at No. 10.
Following the news of Ngannou's inclusion in the WBC top 10, Andre Ward spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. It was then that Ward admitted he didn't agree with the 37-year-old's ranking and claimed that it was only due to the "politics" of the sport. He said:
“You’ve got guys that have been labouring to get into that top 10. I’m gonna call it what it is — it’s like politics. That’s what it is with the sanctioning bodies. Mauricio [Sulaiman] he gets all in an uproar when I talk about these things, he wants to message me on WhatsApp, and he needs to stop messaging me and make sure he’s doing the right things by the company.” [H/t The Mac Life]
Tyson Fury admits it took time to get over Francis Ngannou bout
Tyson Fury has revealed that his performance and the general fatigue of his bout against Francis Ngannou has taken a toll on his mental health.
The lineal heavyweight champ controversially defeated 'The Predator' via split decision and is already booked to return to the ring to face Oleksandr Usyk in February. Their bout was intially expected in December, but it was been postponed due to the damage Fury took at the hands of Ngannou.
Speaking to Boxing Social about his clash against the former UFC champ, Fury admitted he suffered from "two-week post-fight depression", which isn't an uncommon occurence for him. He said:
“Every fight I have two weeks post-fight depression, and I’m just about getting over that now. Just about getting back to reality … I know it’s gonna go after about two weeks. I’m used to it. The highs and lows of it all. With every high there’s an even bigger low.”