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Anthony Joshua is set to face Francis Ngannou on March 8, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Despite Ngannou's incredible performance against Tyson Fury, many boxing fans and experts have expressed their skepticism with regards to his chances against 'AJ' inside the boxing ring.
One such critic is none other than former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, who recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize Anthony Joshua for opting to fight Ngannou instead of an established boxer.
Lewis wrote:
"IMO, this fight adds ZERO credibility to AJ’s resume. He’s SUPPOSED to win this fight and when he does, what does he gain or learn by beating someone in his second HW fight? If he loses, than it’s an absolute disaster. The same stood for Fury and it almost cost him everything."
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Lewis' tweet caught the attention of Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua's promoter. Hearn took to X to reply to Lewis, writing:
"Listen in to yesterday..the winner fights the winner of Fury v Usyk for Undisputed and when AJ joins your club I know you will be delighted for him"
If what Hearn is saying is true, many will no doubt feel that the fight makes complete sense for 'AJ'. With a win over Ngannou, he may finally share the ring with Tyson Fury or end up facing Oleksandr Usyk for the third time.
Anthony Joshua claims his next fight is his "undisputed title fight"
While many hardcore boxing fans may believe that the Joshua-Ngannou fight is merely a gimmick, 'AJ' doesn't appear to be underestimating his opponent.
Speaking on The MMA Hour, Joshua stated that he respects Ngannou and is preparing for the fight as if it were an "undisputed title fight."
'AJ' said:
"You know, I'll have to draw it back that Ngannou is my undisputed title fight. That's the mentality I have to have, Ngannou is my undisputed fight. Because you're only as good as your last fight. And I respect him a lot, you know, he ain't easy money. He's a hard night's work and you know what's crazy? So am I. I'm a hard night's work for anyone, so let's go, it's going to be fireworks."
Check out the clip here:
