Welcome, Francis: Five options for Francis Ngannou now that he has been anointed saviour of boxing’s heavyweight division

By Elliot Worsell

IF you had instructed me that on Monday, October 30, two days after a “boxing match” between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, I’d spend my morning drawing up a listing of 5 potential opponents for Francis Ngannou, in a boxing ring, I wouldn’t know which of us was crazier: you or me or Francis Ngannou.

On the one hand, being diminished to writing a “Top 5” record of something for the sake of content material will at all times eat away at one’s soul, simply usually phrases, but in addition, on this occasion, to be doing one based mostly across the boxing future of Francis Ngannou, a 37-year-old blended martial artist, appears both an editorial oversight or a sick joke.

However, a joke it isn’t; a joke he just isn’t. Rather, the reality is that Ngannou, whether or not you prefer it or not, is knowledgeable boxer: his report is 0-1 (0). He was additionally, in response to one decide (Ed Garner), the higher boxer for the half an hour he spent within the firm of Tyson Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion, on Saturday evening (October 28) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That Ngannou finally misplaced, through break up determination, is neither right here nor there; the story itself was a lot extra; the efficiency itself received so many hearts.

After the struggle, too, this struggle by which he excelled, Ngannou mentioned he was going to be sticking round. This, if true, may also imply he is welcomed again; a welcome completely different than earlier than. Not simply that, along with his repute now enhanced astronomically on account of his efficiency towards Fury, there’ll within the coming months be no scarcity of suitors for Ngannou at heavyweight. In truth, already Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, has expressed an curiosity in working with the Cameroonian once more, and there’ll little question be others as nicely, every of them ready to inform the previous UFC heavyweight champion, “Yeah, Francis, I always did love your work with the old ground and pound and hammer fists back in the day.”

As for future opponents, even on that entrance the goalposts have shifted considerably within the final 48 hours. After all, whereas earlier than the struggle the consensus was that even a British-level heavyweight like Johnny Fisher would have his manner with Ngannou, now the narrative being spun is decidedly completely different. Now, should you’ve been paying consideration, the thought of Ngannou beating Fury in a rematch just isn’t inconceivable in any respect. Now, in response to wonderful MMA journalists who additionally know extra about boxing than “smug boxing fans”, he is, furthermore, succesful of beating any main heavyweight you place in entrance of him; yeah, the lot of them; each final one of them.

That, of course, might have simply been an train in making an attempt to generate on-line consideration (think about), however who would dare argue with self-proclaimed fight sports activities consultants anyway, notably those whose data stretches way back to the evening Conor McGregor outboxed Floyd Mayweather solely to then be unfairly and controversially stopped in spherical 10.

Indeed, if sensible sufficient to hear to those consultants, we, the boxing fraternity, will quickly come to know that the concept of Fury vs. Ngannou was by no means a ridiculous or harmful one within the first place. It was as a substitute merely the most recent instance of a warrior daring to be nice, that’s all, and anybody towards it was being both discriminatory, small-minded, or smug.

Furthermore, why on earth can’t the 37-year-old Ngannou now beat each heavyweight boxer on the planet? Surely he has proven, throughout the 10 rounds he shared with Fury, that he is a grasp boxer (orthodox AND southpaw!) and that the boxing followers who wrote him off beforehand, regardless of their causes for doing so, had been simply being – nicely, smug. (By the best way, somebody wants to inform the fight sports activities consultants smug might be the mistaken phrase. That is to say, boxing followers are many issues, completely, however smug, which means some sense of superiority or place of energy, definitely isn’t one of them.) Beat Fury – “Which he did!” they yell again at you – and there may be each cause to imagine Ngannou will beat everybody else, too, for that’s the way it works, this dumb sport, isn’t it?

In fact, I don’t actually know anymore.

Anyway, listed here are 5 potential fights – that is, boxing matches – for Francis Ngannou:

1) Tyson Fury, 34-0-1 (24)

It’s simple to say that the popular possibility, if given the selection between Oleksandr Usyk or a return with Francis Ngannou, could be Ngannou once more attributable to his lack of expertise (nonetheless), however even of that I’m not totally certain at this stage. So troublesome was Ngannou for Fury, actually, it’s exhausting to think about any state of affairs whereby Fury would deem repeating that expertise to be a remotely satisfying one, irrespective of how a lot cash is on the desk. It stays a struggle he could be anticipated to win, of course, however the risk-reward ratio is so unappealingly lopsided one wonders whether or not it’s higher now to only lower his losses, seize the tail which hangs between his legs, and transfer on altogether.

Fury lands a jab on Ngannou (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

2) Deontay Wilder, 43-2-1 (42)

One of probably the most exceptional issues about Ngannou’s efficiency towards Fury on Saturday evening was the power he confirmed to maintain marching ahead in spite of the punches Fury was throwing at him. That’s a testomony to the African’s toughness, of course it’s, but it surely’s a toughness, one suspects, as a lot psychological as bodily, particularly when contemplating his life story and the hardship he has for years needed to endure. Should Ngannou someday share a hoop with Deontay Wilder, arguably boxing’s largest puncher, this resilience could be examined like by no means earlier than, but, equally, there may be an argument to be made that Ngannou, if in towards Wilder reasonably than Fury, would maybe have a greater shot at touchdown his personal punches as nicely. (I nonetheless can’t imagine I’m really writing these items.)

Wilder lands a left towards Fury (Harry How/Getty Images)

3) Zhilei Zhang, 26-1-1 (21)

“If that opportunity comes, I will definitely take it and grab it,” Zhilei Zhang instructed Boxing News when requested concerning the chance of him someday sharing a hoop with Ngannou. “He’s a novice boxer. No matter how you look at his last performance (against Fury), he’s a novice. And I want to get in there with him and show him what a professional boxing boss looks like.”

Speaking of bosses, the very fact that Zhang is aligned with Frank Warren in some capability ought to quicken the method of him getting within the ring with Ngannou, if, as talked about, that is a chance he desires to pursue. Not solely that, Zhang’s inventory has by no means been larger than it’s proper now, owing to a few of spectacular stoppage wins towards Joe Joyce, and he additionally has each the technical capacity and the punch energy to possibly hassle Ngannou in methods Fury was unable to on the weekend. (Yes, that is a sentence I simply wrote with a straight face.)

Zhilei Zhang outboxes Joe Joyce (Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

4) Joe Joyce, 15-2 (14)

If Ngannou isn’t thrown again in with the highest boys instantly and would as a substitute favor to step down a stage and method issues in a extra typical method, he may do so much worse than goal Joe Joyce, one other heavyweight with whom Frank Warren has a robust connection. Joyce, as talked about, is coming off a pair of punishing defeats to Zhilei Zhang and, at 38, is, like Ngannou, conscious of the valuable nature of time and the way all of a sudden it seems to be working out. Better but, from a impartial’s level of view, there could be no struggle extra interesting for Ngannou – stylistically, that is – than one towards somebody like Joyce, a juggernaut after his personal coronary heart.

Joe Joyce nails Joseph Parker (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

5) Derek Chisora, 34-13 (23)

For a extra correct barometer of Ngannou’s boxing capacity and potential (sure, even at 37), the best choice for him may very well be somebody like Derek Chisora; everybody’s favorite win one-lose one heavyweight contender. With an affinity already for the Middle East, in addition to even better curiosity in earning money, Chisora would possible be a simple man with whom to barter and, what’s extra, suppose of all of the methods by which the struggle, Chisora vs. Ngannou, may very well be offered. Not solely wouldn’t it be “War” vs. “The Terminator”, however you might additionally go heavy on the very fact Chisora initially hails from Zimbabwe and Ngannou proudly represents Cameroon, subsequently bringing much more eyeballs to a sport by no means extra determined to be seen.

Dereck Chisora lands on Kubrat Pulev (Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)