Tyson Fury is now a mediocre heavyweight after going the distance with a fighter who never boxed in his life.
“The Gypsy King” used to hold a legacy worthy of a lineal champion, but not any further after Francis Ngannou exposed him.
He either didn’t train properly or isn’t that good after being dropped by the UFC star and probably losing on points.
Ultimately, the judges gave it to him, but not without tarnishing his legacy.
Tyson Fury is a mediocre heavyweight
Fury overcame an early knockdown to secure a ten-round split decision victory. Fury vs Ngannou occurred Saturday evening at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicked off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.
In the opening seconds, Fury leaped from his corner to land a quick right, but Ngannou’s awkwardness and strength soon slowed the pace. Then, as he appeared to get his rhythm, Fury was dropped with a counter left hook from Ngannou.
Fury got back to his feet to face a fired-up Ngannou, but a few robust right hands from The Gypsy King helped to temper the MMA legend’s aggression.
He continued to box, though he received numerous punches as he engaged with Ngannou on the inside in the eighth round, after which he resumed his outside game to try to secure the final two rounds.
Ngannou won on points
Fury returned successfully from an almost 11-month layoff with scores of 96-93 and 95-94, which overruled one score of 95-94 for Ngannou.
Ngannou, who’d never participated in a professional boxing match before tonight, shocked Fury and the world when he knocked the lineal Heavyweight Champion down in the third round.
After the knockdown, Fury relied on his jab to work his way back into the fight. From the fourth round on, Fury landed 28 jabs and 24 power punches.
After ten rounds, Ngannou had landed five more power punches than Fury. Fury landed 17 more jabs than Ngannou, which seems to have nipped the fight for him.
Ngannou can earn another big fight, but Fury is no longer the world-beating heavyweight he claims to be in his interviews.
Oleksandr Usyk is by far the best heavyweight in the world. It’s now heavily doubtful that Fury will face him on December 23.
Watch this space for a pullout by Fury.
