The former trainer turned pundit Teddy Atlas has revealed his scorecard for the recent Tyson Fury versus Francis Ngannou fight in Riyadh.
The event was reportedly one of the most expensive sporting events ever at a cost of almost half a billion dollars.
It’s fair to say that it was a grand spectacle with epic pre-fight production and a ring that rose up from the floor, and though many thought the contest itself would end up being a mismatch, what transpired was quite different.
Former MMA champion Ngannou boxed patiently on the back foot, securing a knockdown in the third round and managing to stay out of trouble for the majority. Fury was tentative, landing much less than usual and not being as fleet of foot.
However, he won a split decision points victory after the conclusion of 10 full rounds. Many people on the night thought Ngannou could well have taken the win, possibly swayed by him doing much better than expected.
Speaking on his podcast The Fight, Atlas said he rewatched the fight after witnessing it ringside before sharing his carefully considered scorecard.
One judge on the night gave Ngannou the nod with 95-94, but the other two scored it 96-93 and 95-94 to Fury.
The narrow victory for Fury has slightly dampened the hype – and many people’s view of his chances of victory – around his contracted undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk, originally scheduled for December 23 but now set for next year.
