Lewis Slams Joshua For Fighting Ngannou As Hearn Reacts- ‘What Does He Gain?’
Lennox Lewis has slammed Anthony Joshua for deciding to fight Francis Ngannou.
Lewis responded after the consensus that Joshua had turned a corner after stopping Otto Wallin to set up the Ngannou fight. Under his new trainer Ben Davidson, the Brit looked more composed as he stepped forward with his jab, throwing his right hand at will as he broke Wallin’s nose. Before the fight, he was on course to face Deontay Wilder. They had agreed on a two-fight deal, the first one set for March 9, 2024.
This was on the condition both fighters came through their fights. While Joshua secured the victory, Wilder failed to do so, losing to Joseph Parker. As that fight was no longer possible, the attention turned towards Joshua’s next opponent. He had been linked with Ngannou, Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang. Hrgovic was considered the favorite since he is the current IBF Interim Heavyweight Champion. The winner of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk must fight him or face being stripped. Since they have a rematch, this is very likely.
Joshua’s Choice
That places Joshua near the front of the pecking order to face the Croatian. Since they are both with Matchroom, a fight could have easily been made. Zhang is the current WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion, a belt he acquired after stopping Joe Joyce in consecutive fights. A victory for Joshua also would have placed him in contention for a title shot.
Facing Ngannou offers neither of those things except for a lucrative payday. Ngannou was only considered for this fight following a single performance on his boxing debut against Tyson Fury. Although he did better than expected, he ultimately lost a split decision, even if he had the highlight of the fight in sending Fury to the canvas. He subsequently became ranked by the WBC in their top ten, but it is still too early to say he is a legitimate contender in the heavyweight division, causing Lewis to question Joshua’s motives.
Lewis On Joshua
“IMO, this fight adds ZERO credibility to AJ’s resume. He’s SUPPOSED to win this fight and when he does, what does he gain or learn by beating someone in his second HW fight? If he loses, than it’s an absolute disaster. The same stood for Fury and it almost cost him everything,” Lewis said
Despite this being the case, Eddie Hearn defended the decision. The winner will get a shot at the undisputed heavyweight championship, the biggest feat in boxing. Lewis is well aware of what it takes to reach that level, having been the last one to do so in 1999. He defeated Evander Holyfield to claim all the belts, showing the rarity of the feat. That is why Hearn backed his fighter in light of the backlash.
Hearn Reacts
“Listen in to yesterday..the winner fights the winner of Fury v Usyk for Undisputed and when AJ joins your club I know you will be delighted for him,” Hearn stated
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