Joe Joyce has weighed in on Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou.
'AJ' and 'The Predator' are currently slated to headline a pay-per-view event from Saudi Arabia in March. For both men, the boxing match is an extremely important one. For Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou is the only thing standing between a future trilogy with Oleksandr Usyk or a long-awaited bout with Tyson Fury.
Meanwhile, the PFL heavyweight contender is still searching for his first win. Last October, Ngannou dropped and nearly defeated 'The Gypsy King' in his boxing debut. Ultimately, Fury scraped by with a split-decision win after 10 rounds of action.
It's because of that power that Ngannou displayed in October that Joyce is split about the matchup with Joshua. Speaking in a recent interview with Queensbury Promotions, 'Juggernaut' previewed the fight.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
There, he admitted that he was split down the middle about it. Previewing the fight, Joyce stated (via Boxing Social):
“Great fight, I am looking forward to that. Both can really hit, heavy hitters. I think style-wise Ngannou is a little bit inexperienced in boxing, and Joshua he actually looked better in his last performance than previous ones... It’s a pretty 50/50 fight."
Check out his comments below (12:00):
Saudi Arabia reveals massive plans for winner of Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou
The winner of Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou will likely be fighting for heavyweight gold next.
In case one hasn't paid attention over the last year or so, Saudi Arabia essentially has become the home of boxing. Sure, events still happen in Las Vegas and elsewhere. However, the biggest events are now going down in the Middle East.
Just one month before 'AJ' and 'The Predator' will meet, there's another massive heavyweight bout. On Feb. 17, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will clash for heavyweight gold. The winner of the contest will be crowned the first undisputed champion in the weight class since Lennox Lewis.
The man who's helped orchestrate both matchups is Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh. At the press conference for Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou earlier this month, he revealed what was next for the winner.
Whoever emerges out of the aforementioned heavyweight contests victorious, will fight next. Now, there is a rematch clause between Fury and Usyk that could impact the plans. Still, it seems that either 'AJ' or 'The Predator' is in line for something massive.