The news that Mike Tyson will train Francis Ngannou to face Tyson Fury adds a further gimmick to an event that promoters wish to keep away from an exhibition.
Holding the fight over ten three-minute rounds with judges and a scoring system, Fury vs Ngannou was hoped to be a serious fight between two champions.
However, adding Tyson into the mix has increased the gimmicky feeling surrounding the charade. Fury deciding not to face anyone in the top fifteen rankings or defend his title was certainly the first.
Fury vs Ngannou rules
Regarding allowing Fury to face Ngannou, the WBC stated: “Mauricio Sulaiman said that Tyson Fury received special permission from the WBC to fight Francis Ngannou. There is no official challenger.
“He mentioned that Fury tried to close fights against Ruiz, Joshua, and Usyk. No agreement was reached.”
They added: “World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will face former UFC champion Francis Ngannou on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“The fight will be a boxing match sanctioned under the traditional rules of the sport. This includes three ringside judges scoring under the ten-point system.”
Fury having no challenger is not his fault, of course not. But the WBC could have named an alternative route once it was clear that Deontay Wilder and rival Andy Ruiz Jr. had no intentions of fighting each other.
Now fans are left with an attraction that is being built up as a puncher against a boxer. Ngannou has been named as the hardest hitter by the world record makers. However, it’s doubtful Wilder was tested alongside Ngannou.
But whatever makes the fight more viable will be sold as such. Fury is expected to toy with Ngannou, though. The 36-year-old has zero boxing ability and should be easily avoided by one of the best movers the top division has ever since.
At 17-3 with twelve KOs, it’s hard to see how Ngannou would be the hardest hitter in the world anyway. Compare that to Wilder’s record, and it’s no contest.
Mike Tyson training Francis Ngannou
Bringing in the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ – a big puncher back in the day – merely seems like a ploy to get more eyeballs on the Pay Per View.
He does have a life story that most wouldn’t believe possible, though. The 6’4, 280-pound physical specimen hails from Batie. It’s a small village in Cameroon, Africa. He grew up working in a sand quarry from age ten.
At 22 years old, harboring a dream to box, Francis decided to leave on foot across the Sahara. He traveled on a raft across the Strait of Gibraltar on a life-threatening journey, only to find himself homeless on the streets of Paris.
He then walked into a gym, and that’s all she wrote. It didn’t take long for his coaches and peers there to realize his raw talents and God-given power to knock people out.
Ngannou was encouraged to enter an MMA tournament to make extra cash in November 2013. Less than eight years later, he would become the UFC’s first-ever African heavyweight champion.
He knocked out arguably the greatest heavyweight in UFC History, Stipe Miocic, spectacularly in the second round.
In January 2022, Ngannou defended his title against the undefeated interim UFC Champion Ciryl Gane. He won unanimously, all while fighting on a torn ACL and MCL against doctors’ guidance.
Then he left the UFC, signed to fight Fury, and added Tyson to his stable. Drafting in the latter, a coach with little experience handling fighters won’t have increased his chances of victory.
