There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Francis Ngannou had what it took to compete, let alone beat, Tyson Fury, according to Eddie Hearn.
The longtime promoter admitted that the former UFCer was a gargantuan man with huge power, but the lack of experience on the pro level was Hearn’s sticking point.
He wasn’t expecting much, but Hearn still wanted to check out the spectacle. So, last Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, Hearn purchased a ringside seat and took in the sights. Moments after doing so, he placed his hand over his mouth as Ngannou went on to nearly beat Fury at his own game.
Before watching the hulking heavyweight drop Fury in the third round and having plenty of moments of success, Hearn believed that Ngannou was a horrific boxer who had no business crossing over to the sport. But, considering what just took place, it sounds as though Ngannou has earned his respect.
“It’s difficult to say he’s not a world-class fighter because I feel like he just beat Tyson Fury,” Hearn told Ariel Helwani.
Ngannou is now the hot name on the heavyweight block. Countless contenders have listed him as a possible future opponent. Anthony Joshua, however, hasn’t said a word.
Never has the former unified champ been interested in fighting Ngannou, merely because he viewed their clash as more of a circus-like atmosphere and not a real fight. It’s still unclear if Joshua is a bit more receptive to the idea but we know one thing, Hearn certainly is.
In his mind, Joshua vs. Ngannou is one of the biggest fights the sport of boxing has ever seen. But that simply means that a ton of eyeballs will be tuning in. As for the actual matchup itself, Hearn can’t envision a world where Ngannou is even remotely competitive with his former heavyweight champ.
“I promise you this, respect to Francis, easy work for my man.”
