By: Sean Crose
He was the terror of boxing for close to half a year. Last October, former UFC great Francis Ngannou stepped inside a ring in Saudi Arabia and almost bested lineal and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in his boxing debut. Although Fury emerged victorious courtesy of a controversial split decision, the image fans took from the battle was Fury on the mat in the third round after mixed martial artist Ngannou knocked him off his feet. Sure, Fury won the bout – but there was no doubt the man was in the fight of his life. And so people wondered: If Ngannou could almost win a heavyweight crown in his very first boxing match, what did the future hold?
In truth, the future held a horrible beating in store for the gutsy Ngannou, courtesy of former heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua. While many felt Joshua would defeat Ngannou in Ngannou’s second boxing match – which was held last Friday in Saudi Arabia – no one thought Joshua would thrash Ngannou as viciously as he did – and in such a short period of time. After knocking the former UFC heavyweight king down twice in two rounds, Joshua finished the show last Friday courtesy of a nucellar overhand right that put Ngannou down and out for several moments.
“I remember being in the locker trying to warm up,” Ngannou stated on Instagram Wednesday. “It wasn’t going.” According to Ngannou, before the Joshua fight, he “was falling asleep. I’m sweating, but I’m falling asleep.” Still the now 0-2 boxer said he wasn’t making an excuse. “I assume,” he said of his pre-fight drowsiness, “that’s how some people I have fought, some people that I beat have felt before, but it was basically my first time to feel that. That’s why I kind of took a couple days out, I took some time for me. I obviously had to reflect on everything that’s happened through the fight.”
Ngannou made it clear that, simply put, Joshua did what needed to be done to win. “Heads up to Anthony Joshua, to his team that executed their plan properly,” he said before crediting his own team for a job well done. “Everybody showed up and did what should have been done,” Ngannou added. “No blame to anybody. All the blame is just about me. That’s the game.” Fortunately, the 37 year old Ngannou appears to be no worse for wear after last Friday’s fight. “I was conscious right after,” Ngannou stated, “and since then everything’s been good,”
