The challenge in Riyadh between one of the strongest heavyweights in the world and the former UFC champion ends as predicted
Drama or farce? On a night with three world titles up for grabs at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the new Mecca of boxing, the match that matters most has nothing up for grabs. However, it generates two purses that can reach a total of 50 million dollars and is the new frontier of boxing, characterized by contamination between disciplines. It is the challenge between two former heavyweight champions: the English Anthony Joshua, 34 years old, of boxing and the Cameroonian Francis Ngannou, 37 years old, of UFC (Ultimate fight championship) in mixed martial arts (MMA). The match ends in just over 5 minutes, with the second on the ground unconscious.
the match
—
Under the eyes of the “Gypsy King” Tyson Fury in full fantasy, Joshua wins as expected with a tremendous knockout at 2’38” of the second round. It is victory number 28 (25 knockouts) against 3 defeats. In fact there is no match. Unlike what happened last year, when Ngannou made his boxing debut by knocking Fury down in the 3rd round, before losing on points. This time the difference between a real boxer like AJ and 123 kilos of boxing muscles like Ngannou is clear to see. Joshua just needs a few exchanges to get him in the picture. Already in the first round he lands him with a right hook doubled by a left when his rival is already going down. Ngannou gets up at the count of eight and finishes the remaining 40″ of the round. In the next round the scene is repeated with the second knockdown, but when Ngannou gets up still dazed, a right hook to the temple makes him flex his legs and lose consciousness due to the final knockout. The referee immediately interrupts without hesitation and the doctors have to apply oxygen to the unfortunate man so that he recovers.
the doubts
—
Given the epilogue, doubts are growing about the technical credibility of such challenges, created only for business. He led the way Maywheather-McGregor in 2017, then Ngannou-Fury in 2023, now this. Will it be the last, at least for Ngannou? “I asked him to continue, not to leave boxing – says Joshua to the microphones of Dazn-Ngannou – he is a great champion, he only has two fights under his belt and this result does not take anything away from his abilities”. So let the contamination continue. The show must go on.
the World Cup
—
The real boxing matches are in the sub-highlight. The Uzbek Israil Madimov conquers the vacant WBC featherweight belt by dominating the more experienced Magomed Kurbanov, previously undefeated, and forcing him to abandon in the 5th round. The Mexican Rey Vargas retained the WBC featherweight title thanks to a contested draw with the British bull Frank Ball, who knocked him out in the 8th and 11th rounds and was superior from mid-match onwards. «Ball had won the match» Frank Warren, organizer together with Eddie Hearn, says bluntly in the ring. In the heavyweights, the New Zealander Joseph Parker suffers two knockdowns, in the 3rd and 8th rounds, on a straight left and a right hook from Zhilei Zhang, but wins the other rounds bringing the most shots and snatches the WBO intermediate title from the Chinese .
results
—
Heavyweights. Anthony Joshua (28-3) b. Francis Ngannou (0-2) ko 2. Joseph Parker (35-3) b. Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1) on points. Justis Huni (9) b. Kevin Larena (30-3) on points; Andrii Novystsky (10) b. Juan Torres (11-5-1) ko 3. Light heavyweight: Roman Fury (4) b. Martin Svarc (2-1) on points. Super welterweight: Wba world championship Israil Madrimov (10-0-1) b. Magomed Kurbanov (25-1) kot 5; Louis Green (17-4) b. Jack McGann (9-1-1) ko1. Lightweight: Mark Chamberlain (15) b. Gavin Gwynne (17-3-1) kot 4; Ziyad Alaayouf (5) b. Christian Lopez Flores (14-36-2) on points. Featherweight: WBC world championship Rey Vargas (36-1-1) and Nick Ball (19-0-1) equal.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED