Tim Bradley says the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou fight could come down to which of the two hard-hitting heavyweights can handle the power of the other in their fight on March 8th.
Bradley doesn’t care that Ngannou is a former MMA fighter with only one fight under his belt in boxing. He’s got power and can hurt Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) if he lands on the button in their clash on DAZN and Sky PPV at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia.
Wilder Comparison: A Dangerous Blueprint?
Some believe Ngannou has better technical skills than former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and has a superior chin. We saw how far Wilder went with just right-hand power and rudimentary skills.
If Ngannous is a better version of Wilder, he’s got a real chance of defeating Joshua, who can’t take punches, has stamina issues, and has confidence issues. Some would argue the only reason Joshua has looked good lately is that he’s faced three consecutive ham & eggers, in Otto Wallin, Robert Helenius, and Jermaine Franklin.
“This could be a fight where whoever lands first and can take the punch better. So, if AJ lands on Ngannou and Ngannou doesn’t go anywhere, he continues to press forward. If Ngannou lands on AJ and he hurts him, then things can get out of hand really quickly,” said boxing expert Tim Bradley to Probox TV about the March 8 fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou.
“I respect Ngannou’s power, and I don’t give a damn about him being an MMA fighter or not. The dude has got two hands, and he’s coming in thee to take out AJ.”
Joshua’s Aggressive Renaissance with a Catch
“I feel this is the aggressive AJ that we had at one time, who was dominating the heavyweight division at one point in his career. While at the same time, he’s a lot more technical fighter now,” said Paulie Malignaggi about his belief Joshua has improved technically since turning pro in 2013.
“I think with [new trainer] Ben Davison, Joshua had made tremendous strides. I could tell in the [Otto] Wallin fight. Wallin isn’t a top-three or five guy, but he’s still a solid guy. I look at AJ, and he’s able to control the ring again the way he was earlier in his career.”
Has Joshua improved, or is it just smoke and mirrors?
