Looks like Francis Ngannou is the new favorite in the heavyweight class. According to sources, the former UFC champion has booked his second boxing match against the former world champion, Anthony Joshua, for the 8th of March as a part of the ongoing Riyadh season. While most remain excited to see what the event entails, former pro-boxer and boxing commentator, Carl Froch, too joined the bandwagon.

In December, ‘AJ’ was set to face Deontay Wilder going into his clash against Otto Wallin. Unfortunately, Wilder’s loss to Joseph Parker dashed the prospects of their anticipated March 9th bout. Ngannou, while impressing the boxing world, narrowly lost to Tyson Fury in their non-titular October fight by split decision. Froch took these very details to build his case, arguing what the upcoming AJ vs. Ngannou fight means to each other, the heavyweight division, and boxing in general.

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Froch’s Critical Review

On his YouTube channel, ‘Froch on Fighting’, the British boxing analyst started strong by claiming that the fight was “acceptable.” He suggested that Ngannou deserved the fight after his stellar display of prowess against Fury. Froch argued that the ‘Gypsy King’ is an abled fighter by default, so even if he was not in the headspace or out of shape on fight night, he still holds the caliber to defeat someone like Ngannou. Despite all of this, Ngannou, who headlined the UFC for about 6 years, gave Fury a tough fight.

Is the fight against Ngannou ideal for AJ? Froch said, “I’m just not sure that it should be happening because Anthony Joshua wants to become a three-time champion, three-time heavyweight champion, but where’s the title?” However, the former Super-middleweight went further than that. Froch labeled the fight as a “cash grab” something that AJ’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, had earlier criticized the Fury vs. Ngannou clash as being.

Hearn had criticized the WBC champion for not taking title defenses but rather fighting for money’s sake. He even labeled the fight as a ‘cash grab’. Now, giving Hearn a reality check, Froch first played the video in which Hearn was coming down heavy on Fury and then flipped the argument against the ace-promoter. Froch noted, “Let’s be honest this is a cash grab out in Saudi Arabia and I don’t think it’s good for heavyweight boxing.” He argued that there is no title on the line here, thereby the fight does not align with AJ’s wish to become a three-time world champion. What else is the fight for, if not for money? asserted Froch.

For AJ, well, it remains unclear why he is fighting Francis Ngannou. For the latter, however, it’s his next big step in furthering his hold in the heavyweight class. Clever moves, right? What do you think of the AJ vs. Ngannou? Do you believe it’s the right fight to happen? Let us know in the comments section below.

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