Andy Murray calls out Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou clash as a 'bad look for boxing'
Andy Murray was not amused by Tyson Fury taking on Francis Ngannou in a boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday night, as he reckons it was a 'bad look' for the sport.
Representing England, Fury is considered one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time. He has won 34 of his 35 fights, 24 by knockout. Ngannou, meanwhile, is a former UFC Heavyweight champion, who has since left the UFC and joined up with the PFL (Professional Fighters League).
On Saturday, Fury came out on top despite being knocked down during the clash, eventually winning on a split-decision after going 10 rounds with the Cameroonian.
"That definitely wasn't in the script,” Tyson Fury said about the fight afterwards. “Francis is a hell of a fighter, strong, a big puncher and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would ever be.”
Andy Murray, though, did not see the thrill of the contest, as he felt it was one-sided, much like how a tennis match between the World No. 1 tennis player and the World No. 1 squash player would be.
"How many points would the World No. 1 squash player win vs the world number 1 tennis player in a tennis match and vice versa? Im thinking close to zero for both….bad look for boxing," Andy Murray tweeted.
Andy Murray to start Paris Masters campaign against Alex de Minaur
Andy Murray is competing in the final Masters 1000 event of the year at the Paris Masters. He takes on Alex de Minaur in his opener.
Their head-to-head is 5-0 in favor of the Australian, including 3-0 in 2023. The duo last met at the China Open, where De Minaur came out on top in three sets. The winner of the clash takes on Dusan Lajovic or Benjamin Bonzi, with a potential third-round clash against fourth seed Jannik Sinner looming ahead.
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev is the expected quarterfinal opponent, followed by a likely semifinal against top seed and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Meanwhile, second seed and two-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz remains the favorite to reach the final from the bottom half of the draw.