Former unified Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua scored a brutal second round stoppage over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in a scheduled 10-round bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

In round one, Joshua landed a perfect right to the jaw that put Ngannou on the deck. In round two, Joshua landed a perfect counter right that put Ngannou in the canvas aagain. Ngannou was clearly clearly hurt with a bloody lip and then ate a humongous right hand that bent him over his right leg and out cold at 2:31.

Joshua, 252.4 lbs of London is 28-3 with 25 knockouts. Ngannou, 272.6 lbs of Cameroon is 0-2.

Parker Decisions Zhang; Captures WBO Interim Heavyweight Title

Joseph Parker survived two knockdowns and won the WBO Interim Heavyweight totle with a 12-round majority decision ovr Zhilei Zhang.

In round three, Zhang landed a little left hand that put Parker on the seat of his pants.

In round eight, Zhang landed a little right hook on the inside that put Parker down for a second time.

Zhang did not capitalize on the knockdowns and Parker did a little more to win by scores of 115-111, 114-112 and 113-113.

Parker, 247.6 lbs of South Auckland, NZ is 35-3. Zhang, 291.6 lbs of China is 26-2-1.

Vargas and Ball Battle to Draw in Featherweight Title Bout

Rey Vargas built up a nice lead, and he needed it as Nick Ball scored two knockdowns in the second half of their fight and battle to a split draw. Vargas keeps his WBC Featherweight title.

Vargas dominated the first half of the fight as he landed hard body shots. The fight started turning in the second half of fight.

In round seven, Ball rocked and buckled Vargas on two occasions. In round eight, Ball was able to register a knockdown when he was off balance and Ball landed a left hook. Ball continued to sure forward in the ensuing rounds. In round 11, Vargas was dropped again as Ball landed a hard right on the chin.

Vargas landed 118 of 536 punches. Ball was 111 of 472.

Scores were 114-112 for Vargas, 116-112 for Ball and 113-113.

Vragas, 125 lbs of Mexico is 36-1-1. Ball, 125 lbs of Liverpool is 19-0-1.

Madrimov Stops Kurbanov in 5 to win Super Welterweight Title

Israil Madrimov won the WBA Super Welterweight title with a fifth round stoppage over Magomed Kurbanov.

Madrimov dominated the action by landing some hard right hands over the first four frames. Kurbanov showed some life but that was short lived as in round five, Madrimov landed a hard right that rocked Kurbanov to the ropes. Madrimov followed up and landed two more hard overhand rights that forced a stoppage at 2:20

Madrimov, 153.6 lbs of Uzbekistan is 10-0-1 with seven knockouts. Kurbanov, 153.6 lbs of Ekatinberg, RUS is 25-1.

Mark Chamberlain stops Gavin Gwynne in 4

Mark Chamberlain stopped Gavin Gwynne in round four of their 10-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Gwynne started to swell around his right eye. In round three, Gwynne’s eye was shutting rapidly. Chamberlain continued to pour on the offense and in round four, landed a hard right hook that drove Gwynne to the ropes. Chamberlain followed up with a flurry and the fight was stopped at 2:46.

Chamberlain, 134.6 lbs of Portsmouth, ENG is 15-0 with 11 knockouts. Gwynne, 134 lbs or Treharris, WAL is 17-3-1.

Huni Hangs on and Decisions Lerena

Justis Huni was hurt bad in the 10th and final round but was able to hang on and defeat Kevin Lerena via 10-round unanimous decision in a heavyweight bout.

The bout was close throughout. In round 10, Lerena landed a huge left that rocked Huni across the ring on bad legs. Lerena followed up but was not able to put him down.

Huni, 243.2 lbs of Brisbane, AUS won by scores of 98-92 and 96-94 twice and is now 9-0. Lerena, 232.4 lbs of Johannesburg, SA is 30-3.

Louis Greene scored an emphatic first-round stoppage over Jack McGann in a 10-round super welterweight bout.

Greene landed a booming right hand that put McGann hard on his back. McGann got to his feet, but the fight was waved off at 1:29.

Greene, 153.2 lbs of Kent, ENG is 17-4 with 11 knockouts. McGann, 153.4 lbs of Liverpool, ENG is 9-1-1.

In a battle of undefeated heavyweights, Roman Fury won a four-round decision over Martin Svarc.

Fury, 224 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by a 39-37 score and is 4-0. Svarc, 225 lbs of CZE is 2-1.

Fury is the brother of WBC Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who was ringside.

Ziyad Almaayouf remained undefeated with a six-round decision over Christian Lopes Flores in a super lightweight contest.

Almaayouf, 144.4 lbs of Riyadh, SA won by a 60-54 score and is now 6-0. Flores, 142 lbs is 14-36-2.

Andrii Novytskiy scored a third-round stoppage over Juan Torres in a eight-round heavyweight bout.

Novytskiy, 239.4 lbs is now 10-0 with nine knockouts. Torres, 255.6 is 11-6-1.

By Norm Frauenheim –

Francis Ngannou is no ordinary novice.

He’s been called one simply because of the numbers in his resume. They don’t add up to anything that would suggest he’s a champion, contender or journeyman

He’s a one-time heavyweight boxer. His heavyweight career is 10 rounds long. It’s the equivalent of a postage stamp on other heavyweight resumes.

Yet, it delivered a message, one that has made the top of boxing’s old flagship division very uncomfortable. Ngannou crashed the party in October, sending its lineal king tumbling onto the canvas like some eroding edifice.

Tyson Fury won a split decision in Saudi Arabia, but the scorecards’ inherent controversy has lingered with questions about the state of today’s heavyweight game.

It’s a question, one of many, seeking an answer Friday (main event at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT/DAZN PPV) when Ngannou enters the ring for the second time in his heavyweight boxing career against former champion and presumed Fury rival Anthony Joshua, also in Riyadh.

From personal reputations to promotional plans, the stakes are enormous, unprecedented for anything attached to a so-called novice.

Let’s start with the promotional plans. It was announced Wednesday that Queensberry Promotions wants the winner of Ngannou-Joshua to fight the winner of the rescheduled bout on May 18 between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.

“There’s a lot on the line,’’ Fury said, stating the obvious.

The heavyweights, at least on the UK side of the division, have been waiting for a decisive Fury-Joshua confrontation for years. Few even knew Ngannou’s name when that wait began.

But here he is, a 37-year-old boxing novice and a Mixed Martial Arts veteran with the power to make everyone wonder why – why-oh-why — they waited.

“if in the coming months both Fury and Joshua win, it is on to the dream matchup in Wembley Stadium British boxing fans have dreamed of for years,” says Jim Lampley, HBO’s former ringside journalist who will co-host, real time, a live-stream chat for PPV.COM Friday. “If Usyk and Ngannou win, that is forgotten, and we keep moving into the brave new combat world.’’

The idea, at least from the UK perspective, is for Joshua to prove that Ngannou was simply an aberration last October.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Joshua looks as if he has restored his confidence. That was evident in his solid fifth-round TKO of Otto Wallin in December. Wallin is skillful, but don’t confuse him with Ngannou. He’s imposing, dangerous. This novice is a Goliath.

The guess is that Ngannou doesn’t have the endurance or the skillset to endure 10 rounds.  Joshua has an Olympic pedigree and a gold medal. But he also has a history of retreating after he gets hit by bigtime power.

That’s been the story line since he was knocked down by a huge shot from Wladimir Klitchsko in April 2017. Joshua went on to win an 11^th-round TKO. But the Klitschko knockdown seemed to replace the confidence with over abundant caution. He became beatable.

Ngannou is nothing if not powerful. Here’s another question: What happens to Joshua if he gets rocked by the kind of Ngannou shot that dropped Fury?

A Joshua advantage is that he knows all about Ngannou’s head-turning power. Against Fury, Ngannou delivered a timely alert, says Lampley in a pre-fight analysis.

“With his very near miss against Fury, Ngannou has supplied Joshua with a potentially vital wake-up call, a useful scouting report, and massive motivation to gain public-relations ground by indirectly embarrassing Fury.’’

Lampley has some advice for each corner.

For Joshua: “Make sure the boxing match is a BOXING match. Use your jab, stay out of clinches, don’t get into a wrestling match against the rarity of a larger, stronger man,’’ Lampley says to an ex-champ with plenty to lose

For Ngannou: “Shoot the moon. Take risks, swing big when you see the target, maybe this time the knockdown will stick,’’ he says to a novice with little to lose.

Novices never do

An action-packed night of ‘Knockout Chaos’ – live worldwide on DAZN PPV – awaits at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Friday, March 8, where Anthony Joshua faces Francis Ngannou at the top of another huge card in Saudi Arabia. 

With just one week to go until his blockbuster Heavyweight showdown with the former MMA king, two-time World Champion and London 2012 Olympic gold medallist ‘AJ’ has taken a special stroll down ‘Memory Lane’ with DAZN’s iconic lead commentator, Mike Costello, to reveal the fascinating inside story behind some of the key moments during his illustrious career so far.

From turning up in a George ASDA suit at his Matchroom signing over a decade ago in July 2013, to downing a pint of Forged Irish Stout with Conor McGregor, Joshua fondly looks back at a collection of key images from his incredible journey in the sport – before he switches focus to his new link-up with trainer Ben Davison and his plot to bring down Ngannou in Saudi Arabia before climbing back to the summit of the Heavyweight division.

You can watch the full video on the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel with a downloadable free for use, 90-second trailer HERE.

The full transcript from the interview is provided below. Please credit Matchroom Boxing with any use, with reference to the fight taking place live worldwide on DAZN PPV.

FULL TRANSCRIPT

PICTURE 1: Anthony Joshua proudly holding the Union Jack flag after his London 2012 Olympics Games glory for Team GB. August 2012.

MIKE COSTELLO: London 2012. When you look at that, what’s the first thing that enters your mind?

ANTHONY JOSHUA: What am I doing here? You know, three years before that I was looking at a long, lengthy court case and a possible sentence in jail – and now, I’m the flag bearer of Great Britain. So, it was fun, but I didn’t know what was coming or how I ended up there, to be honest with you. 

MC: You’ve gone on to win a World Title, James DeGale did the same, but it’s only the two of you who have done that in men’s boxing from Great Britain (won have Olympic gold for Team GB and gone on to win a World Title).

AJ: Is it? Wow. I do believe that someone else will achieve it too. It’s like when the four-minute mile was first spoken about. It was impossible until someone done it. For now, it is rare, for sure, but I can’t wait for the next young lot of Heavyweights, or whatever weight they come through, and make us look like ordinary people. I think there’s so much talent out there that hasn’t been discovered yet. 

PICTURE 2: AJ shaking hands with Eddie Hearn after signing his first professional promotional agreement with Matchroom Boxing in July 2013.

MC: Onto the next one. This is handshakes with Eddie Hearn for your first promotional agreement. You look like you’ve been dressed by your mum for your first day at school!

AJ: Haha! Yes. I used to get my stuff from ASDA. George, ASDA! I’d take it to a tailor and get it chopped up for a tenner, then come and present myself to the world. You must remember up until this point, the only time I’d ever really have to wear suits was to court dates or funerals. Now I’m doing big business. From a young age, I always had a hustler’s head on my shoulders so I could stand strong with Eddie Hearn – an educated man, who’s come from a good family. I’ve come from a good family too, but for me, personally education wasn’t always my main priority. I felt like at this stage in my life, boxing wasn’t the hard part. Making sure my business was in the right order was the hardest part.  

MC: And that was the promotional agreement that you were so keen to, as you say, ‘hustle’ and keep control of your career from a management side?

AJ: Yes. There’s a saying in Boxing, where Boxing is the only jungle where the lions are afraid of the rats – because you’ve seen what many other promoters have done to boxers before. It wasn’t so long ago, in the 1980s and 90s, when athletes were being taken advantage of by some. It’s such a shame because you see them today – and these are my heroes, and the heroes of so many others – and they’re the guys who really made the Boxing industry work. Thankfully, Eddie has proven to me to be one of the best in the business. The Hearn family and Matchroom Boxing have stuck to their word, so I’ve stuck with them, and I would advise anyone in Boxing to look at them as a promoter and a promotional outfit. They taught me, not only how to navigate my career, but they gave me access to help understand how the business fronts. 

PICTURE 3: AJ facing Emanuele Leo in his professional debut. 5 October, 2013. The O2, London.

MC: And you’ve been good to them as well, and this is where it all started with your pro debut, almost a year after the Olympics against Emanuele Leo. 

AJ: Yes, Emanuele Leo. And 8-0 fighter. It’s good to get people talking: “Oh my god, this new boxer is coming in and taking on some guy who has had eight fights and won them… let’s see how he’s going to get on.” We did that and I got the job done. 

MC: What was the standard like and what did it feel like on the night, to come off the back of the standard at the Olympics against [Roberto] Cammarelle, [Ivan] Dychko, [Zhilei] Zhang and all the rest?

AJ: It didn’t really mean anything at this stage if I’m honest. I didn’t know what was going on! I just kind of trained well and gave my best. You must remember before then I never really had any intention of being a boxer. It wasn’t like, “this is my dream”. This was an experience, rather than a dream. So, I was just riding the wave. I call it a situation where if you know where you’re going, you can turn up to a red carpet and know how to walk down it – you’ll know where you’re going because this has always been part of your plan. But, for me, it’s like the red carpet has been rolled out and I’m just a few steps behind it as it’s going and I’m figuring it out as I go along. 

MC: So, did it take time to get comfortable in that space and in that environment?

AJ: Yeah, the pro ranks is different. No head guard, different gloves, smaller ring. Your bare. You’re fighting some of the toughest and best fighters in the world, so this was my learning time in the pro ranks. 

PICTURE 4: AJ with his arms raised during fight with Vladimir Klitschko, August 2017. Wembley Stadium, London.

MC: In this one, we move on to 2017 and this is you with your arms raised after the first knockdown against Vladimir Klitschko. What’s going through your mind here as the referee is counting?

AJ: I thought I had won! And I thought I was going to win it from this point on. This is round five and I went on to fight another six rounds after this. So yeah, I thought I’d won it but there was still a long, steep mountain to climb against one of the former greats in Vladimir Klitschko. What I learned after this fight is that there are levels. This guy [Klitschko] is the first guy who ever took me to 11 rounds and obviously he had the pedigree to be in that position to do that. For me, I’ve always said that I need to be a cut above the rest, so I went away to improve, change my style and so forth… and it has brought me to where I am today you know. That fight is the fight that brought to this point here and big-time boxing is back.

PICTURE 5: AJ ring-walking with British rapper K-Trap ahead of his win over Jermaine Franklin at The O2 in April last year. 

MC: We’re onto ring walks, how big and how important, of the entire experience, are they to you?

AJ: They’re not so much, because fight focused fight focused. There’s nothing bigger than a victory. It’s not how you walk in; it’s how you walk out. That’s my opinion. But at the same time, I do know it’s not for me, it’s for the crowd. I only do it for the crowd. I’ve walked in with no music before. It is a job. You want to get in there and do your job at the end of the day. All of this stuff here, like Prince Naseem Hamed – what a an entertainer, he was one in a million – but it’s not for everyone.

PICTURE 6: AJ taking a sip of Conor McGregor’s Forged Irish Stout immediately after his seventh-round KO win over Robert Helenius at The O2 in August last year. 

MC: This is Conor McGregor after Robert Helenius last year. Talking about entertainment and the whole package, what do you make of Conor McGregor?

AJ: Conor? Larger than life character. He’s someone that you can take inspiration from. Remember, we’re only here once and you have to love live life. A lot of people are like, each to their own, reserved, quiet and just getting through life. He’s someone that is at the forefront of live and living it to its full capacity in his own right – and I like that about him a lot. I like that about him.

MC: Is there any mileage in talking to him about what’s coming up given he fought Mayweather?

AJ: One million percent there’s mileage in talking to someone like Conor McGregor, and even if it’s just like a small gem. Something is better than nothing.

PICTURE 7: AJ triumphantly celebrating following his fifth-round KO win over Otto Wallin on December’s Day of Reckoning card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

MC: This was taken by a Matchroom staffer at the Day of Reckoning. What does that say? What’s the message here do you think?

AJ: Prayer. Don’t let success get to your head and don’t let failures get to your heart. I was just giving thanks, giving prayer – thankful for another day at the office. Success. I really like that picture.

MC: Three out of three wins in 2023. How do you reflect on the year as a whole? Franklin, Helenius and Wallin.

AJ: It’s in the past. It’s done. I don’t reflect on it in any way. We only look forward.

PICTURE 8: New trainer Ben Davison in the corner during AJ’s win over Otto Wallin at the Kingdom Arena last December. 

MC: Well, let’s look forward to this next one with Ben in the corner. What was fresher? What clicked? Something clearly did.

AJ: Belief. You believe in something. And I listened. I meet a lot of people that want advice but I know they don’t believe in what I’m saying, because they don’t believe in themselves probably. I believe in Ben, so what he is saying is just clicking.

MC: Which philosophy would you follow then; fighters make the trainer or trainers make the fighter?

AJ: Trainers make the fighter. Without a shadow of a doubt. You can’t do it by yourself. You can, but you can’t do it for a long time. Every good fighter has had a great trainer. Well the ones that I admire anyway. Even though people will say, ‘oh he trained himself half of the time’, that’s rubbish. Training isn’t just like throw a jab here and throw a jab there, it’s also like your approach, the gems and the wisdom that you get. The environment that a trainer creates. It’s more than just a trainer showing you how to throw a punch. It’s the mindset it takes to land that punch, and if it doesn’t land what happens when it doesn’t land. It’s all of that. Trainers are more than just someone who teaches you how to throw a right hand.

MC: What’s the role of Derrick James, if any?

AJ: He’s cool. That’s my guy if I’m in the States. I don’t just want to train for the fight. I want to continue training. I spoke to Derrick and Derrick rates Ben a lot. He wants to make sure I’m in safe hands. He was like, ‘yeah he’s a very good coach, I’m glad you’re in safe hands’. I feel like I’m in safe hands as well. The relationship is still good. But I’m going to be based in the UK.

PICTURE 9: A black and white portrait of AJ showing his Africa tattoo on his right shoulder.

MC: This was taken some time ago; it was in the Matchroom archive. The tattoo. This deep into your career, what does all of this still mean to you and your identify, Anthony?

AJ: Continue to search for greatness. Keep standing up tall in the face of adversity and in positive times. Back straight, stand up tall and just keep on walking forwards. Life if life, life can happen. Life will happen. So many things happen. I don’t want to start going into everything but when life does happen always stand tall. That’s it.

MC: That’s a map of Africa. Nigeria is pinpointed. Next door is Cameroon from where Francis Ngannou comes from. Is there extra inspiration here for youngsters all across that massive country that you can spread?

AJ: 100 percent there is. There’s a lot of inspiration they can take. Right now we’re at war though. There’s a civil war happening.

MC: And it’s the 50^th anniversary this year of the Rumble in the Jungle.

AJ: I said that you know. It does resemble that in a way right.

PICTURE 10: A black a white photo of AJ white the text ‘three-time?’.

MC: So the last one; three-time. I remember being on the ring apron for the rematch again Ruiz in Saudi Arabia, and before I even asked you a question you shouted two-time. How big is that this year?

AJ: It is big. I’m not looking past Ngannou. That’s my main focus. But we’re talking about the pictures. What I’m trying to say is there’s nothing bigger in sport than winning a trophy and in my sport it’s winning a belt, a Heavyweight Championship belt man. That’s massive. That’s what I go back to that picture before – perseverance. Keep on pushing, keep on searching. That’s why we’re going for the third time. How good can I be? And from that journey from the Olympics not knowing where I’m going, imagine now I’ve got a target, I know where I’m going, that red carpet is already laid out for me. All I need to do is arrive at the destination.

MC: And that kid we showed at the Olympics all the way back there might not be in the same company as Ali, Holyfield, Lennox Lewis – these three World Champions.

AJ: Mad. But you know what’s crazy about it all? No one ever lives forever to tell their legacy. We’re all going to pass on. So you’ve got to do your best while you’re here. That’s when you go back to that McGregor picture and you ask me about McGregor, someone who lives and loves life. While you’re here live love life, be confident, flamboyant, be an extrovert, don’t be shy – because at the end of the day when it’s all said and done, you only get one experience and one chance at life.

Legendary boxing journalist Jim Lampley returns to PPV.COM (which does not require a subscription),to co-host his popular and exclusive live viewer chat, in real time, during PPV.COM‘s live stream of the upcoming boxing event headlined by the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou heavyweight rumble, Next Friday, March 8, beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.  The Joshua-Ngannou heavyweight rumble will emanate from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  Priced at $69.99, the Joshua-Ngannou event can be ordered by clicking here PPV.COM | Joshua vs. Ngannou.Below, please find Jim’s analysis of Joshua vs. Ngannou

Jim Lampley’s Analysis

“It’s obvious there are games of tag now ongoing both in boxing’s heavyweight division and in the relevant/irrelevant relationship between boxing and MMA.  Their effects show up as both logical (Joshua fighting the MMA star who made a sudden splash against his primary competitor for heavyweight attention in Great Britain) and illogical (Joshua projecting that it MEANS something to his boxing identity to do better against an MMA star than Fury did).  

“So how much irrelevance will the combat sports market bear?  Apparently, plenty. But having diluted some of his stardom both via a silly satellite TV vanity/reality show and then via the shock knockdown and disputed outcome of his tussle with Francis Ngannou, the once and future heavyweight champion Fury now turns back to serious business vs Oleksandr Usyk, the Ukrainian technician who twice outboxed Anthony Joshua somewhat in the shadow of Fury’s dramatic showdowns with Deontay Wilder. 

“Joshua lost some, not all, of his once-majestic aura in the two small margin losses to Usyk.  Ngannou is obviously something entirely different.  As time goes by and there are more and more boxing matches governed by boxing rules between boxers (Joshua) and MMA combatants (Ngannou), it’s clear the technical gap is closing, and the MMA stars are finding more ways to compete — see Fury-Ngannou and the disputed razor-thin decision.  But at the end of the day this fight, like its predecessors, takes place under boxing rules and that is still an advantage for Joshua.  And with his very near miss against Fury, Ngannou has supplied Joshua with a potentially vital wake-up call, a useful scouting report, and massive motivation to gain public relations ground by indirectly embarrassing Fury.  

“So, at this juncture, en route to Joshua v. Ngannou, there are some clear objectives in view.”

·         “For Joshua, make sure the boxing match is a BOXING match.  Use your jab, stay out of clinches, don’t get into a wrestling match against the rarity of a larger, stronger man.”

·         “For Ngannou, shoot the moon, take risks, swing big when you see the target, maybe this time the knockdown will stick.  Listen carefully to Mike Tyson if he is again in your camp, because a long time ago, Mike was classically trained by a legendary trainer, and he knows, as well as any active heavyweight, the technical realities of boxing.” 

“If in the coming months both Fury and Joshua win, it is on to the dream matchup in Wembley Stadium British boxing fans have dreamed of for years.  If Usyk and Ngannou win, that is forgotten, and we keep moving onward into the brave new combat world.”  

***********************************

PPV.COM, which does not require a subscription, will offer Joshua vs. Ngannou in the U.S. and Canada.  iNDEMAND, the parent company of PPV.COM, will also be carrying the event through its network of cable and telco operators in the U.S. and Canada via providers including, Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Optimum, Fios, Rogers, Bell, SaskTel, and Telus, among others.

JIM LAMPLEY

Jim is a recipient of the Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcasting Journalism and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in its 2015 class.  He served as anchor and commentator for “HBO World Championship Boxing” for 30 years and has covered numerous Olympic Games during his long and distinguished career in sports broadcasting.

About iNDEMAND and PPV.COM

iNDEMAND is an innovative partnership among three of the leading cable companies in the U.S.– Charter Communications, Comcast Cable, and Cox Communications. iNDEMAND is a company of trusted content aggregators and licensing experts, with unparalleled technical expertise and long-standing relationships with MVPDs, major sports leagues, Hollywood studios, and other entertainment and sports companies across North America. iNDEMAND delivers great content to more than 60 million cable homes and has distribution deals with more than 90 companies.  In December 2021, iNDEMAND launched PPV.COM, an innovative streaming PPV service and the first of its kind to offer interactive fan engagement during live-action sports.  With the addition of PPV.COM, which does not require a subscription, to its existing cable PPV infrastructure, iNDEMAND has consolidated all forms of PPV distribution under one roof, making the company the only provider of turnkey PPV solutions for both industry partners and consumers.  For more information, go to indemand.com.

Heavyweight Matty Harris has been buoyed by a message of support from Anthony Joshua as he sets out on the road to redemption this week.

Harris returns to the ring on Friday night, on the Wasserman Boxing show at the Telford International Centre, following a shock first defeat of his career last summer.

The 24-year-old, from Leamington Spa, was stopped by Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko in Edinburgh in July and has now teamed up with world renowned coach Peter Fury in a bid to get back in the heavyweight mix as soon as possible.

Harris – known as ‘Magic’ – takes on Belgium’s Amine Boucetta over four rounds later this week and heads into his return having sparred Francis Ngannou, UFC champion Tom Aspinall and Hughie Fury, among others.

Messages of support have also come from a number of British heavyweights, including Dereck Chisora, Frazer Clarke and the man who faces Ngannou next week – Joshua.

On messages from AJ and others, Harris said:  “A lot of people, including AJ, have reached out, exchanging some nice words, which has been nice.
“And, of course, it’s encouraging to hear these messages.  I guess if they thought I was rubbish, and couldn’t box, then they may not bother and so they reached out because it was a shock defeat.  I am now putting the work in to right those wrongs.”

On sparring Ngannou, the former UFC star who has crossed over to boxing, Harris said:
“If you let him hit you, then he has heavy hands and he is an incredibly strong individual.
“But I was surprised what he did to Tyson Fury.  I expect AJ to go straight through him on March 8.”

On sparring UFC interim heavyweight title holder, Aspinall, Harris said: “He’s a decent boxer!  And he could’ve got to a very decent level in boxing.  He has really good feet, he’s absolutely a good mover and it was Peter who taught him how to box.”

On what it’s like being trained by Peter Fury, Harris said:  “I knew it was going to be hard, it’s my medicine!
“I have to go through this to become better.  Peter has trained world champions before and so I have plenty to learn with him.  He is very old-school in terms of his mindset to the way we do things and you can’t help but appreciate it and there is no substitute for hard work.  And it doesn’t matter how I’m feeling, I just have to get in there and get the work done.”

NEW YORK (February 23, 2024) — PPV.COM, which does not require a subscription, returns to the ring, in its 2024 season debut, live streaming to boxing fans, in the U.S. and Canada, arguably the most intriguing fight in recent memory — the heavyweight battle between former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and MMA legend and newly minted World Boxing Council Top-10 heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou — Friday, March 8, beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.  The Joshua-Ngannou heavyweight rumble will emanate from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  Priced at $69.99, the Joshua-Ngannou event can be ordered by clicking herePPV.COM | Joshua vs. Ngannou.    

The PPV.COM Joshua vs. Ngannou live stream will once again feature Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Lampley, who will be paired with award-winning combat sports journalist Kevin Iole, co-hosting an exclusive viewer chat in real time.  Jim will also be providing exclusive fight week commentary and reports for PPV.COM‘s website and social platforms.

“Joshua vs Ngannou is the fight which should tell us whether the surprising result of Fury vs Ngannou was more about surprisingly good Ngannou or surprisingly bad Fury,” Lampley said.  “If Fury’s inability to master a decided underdog was caused by negligent training, inattention to detail, taking an MMA-origin opponent lightly, then an alert, attentive, trained and ready Joshua should handle that opponent with relative ease, and re-establish that boxing is a different craft than the craft through which Ngannou earned his identity.  But if Ngannou is the rare ring competitor who can transfer MMA skills over to boxing, he should show it against Joshua, who is slightly smaller and less physically imposing than Fury.  My first guess is Ngannou’s showing against Fury has created an incentive which will re-light Joshua’s fire, just what he needs after two losses to the superior technician Oleksandr Usyk.  That doesn’t mean Ngannou won’t have his moments — he’s proven he’s a formidable competitor.  But it does mean that in most instances boxers fighting within boxing rules have the edge against MMA gladiators, and Joshua has enough left in his tank to gain a form of public relations victory over Fury by beating Ngannou.  I say that from a distance, and I reserve the right to modify that outlook when I have had a chance to see them up close.”

PPV.COM, which does not require a subscription, will offer Fury vs. Usyk in the U.S. and Canada.  iNDEMAND, the parent company of PPV.COM, will also be carrying the event through its network of cable and telco operators in the U.S. and Canada via providers including, Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Optimum, Fios, Rogers, Bell, SaskTel, and Telus, among others.

JIM LAMPLEY

Jim is a recipient of the Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcasting Journalism and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in its 2015 class.  He served as anchor and commentator for “HBO World Championship Boxing” for 30 years and has covered numerous Olympic Games during his long and distinguished career in sports broadcasting.      

KEVIN IOLE

Kevin is a recipient of the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism, the Boxing Writers Association of America’s highest honor.  He brings over 40 years of experience covering the sweet science and MMA for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Yahoo! Sports, and his new and hugely popular combat sports website Kevin Iole.com.

About iNDEMAND and PPV.COM

iNDEMAND is an innovative partnership among three of the leading cable companies in the U.S.– Charter Communications, Comcast Cable, and Cox Communications. iNDEMAND is a company of trusted content aggregators and licensing experts, with unparalleled technical expertise and long-standing relationships with MVPDs, major sports leagues, Hollywood studios, and other entertainment and sports companies across North America. iNDEMAND delivers great content to more than 60 million cable homes and has distribution deals with more than 90 companies.  In December 2021, iNDEMAND launched PPV.COM, an innovative streaming PPV service and the first of its kind to offer interactive fan engagement during live-action sports.  With the addition of PPV.COM, which does not require a subscription, to its existing cable PPV infrastructure, iNDEMAND has consolidated all forms of PPV distribution under one roof, making the company the only provider of turnkey PPV solutions for both industry partners and consumers.  For more information, go to indemand.com.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (15 January, 2024) – H.E. Advisor Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority, proudly announces ‘Knockout Chaos’ headlined by former unified World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua in a mouth watering match up against MMA superstar and now Heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou on Friday 8 March at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

The event is being delivered to fans across the world by The General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, Goldstar Promotions and GIMIK Fight Promotions.

Previously the WBA, IBF and WBO World Champion, Joshua completed a busy and successful year on 23 December 2023 when he defeated Otto Wallin in five rounds in a headline attraction on the ‘Day of Reckoning’ in Riyadh, a fight which marked his return to the elite end of the Heavyweight rankings.

Former UFC Heavyweight champion Ngannou entered the world of boxing when he competed in the ‘Battle of the Baddest’ against WBC World Champion Tyson Fury, which opened Riyadh Season on 28 October 2023. The fight boomed into life towards the end of the third round when Ngannou landed a left hook to the temple of Fury’s head and the champion was put to the canvas.

Ngannou winning the respect and admiration of boxing fans across the globe with a remarkable performance. Now, in what will be his second professional fight, Ngannou takes on the other most popular heavyweight on the planet.

H.E. Alalshikh states that: “‘Knockout Chaos’ is one of the most important events to take place in Riyadh Season so far this year, an occasion which will bring together yet more international champions from one of the most popular sports in the world.”

“I will be ready to go once the first bell rings.” Insists the two-time former unified World Champion Joshua“ I will approach this mission with laser focus until the job is complete. I am looking forward to returning to Riyadh and I would like to thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the passion they have shown to myself and the sport of boxing.”

Ngannou pledges to continue silencing the doubters when he takes to the ring for his second professional fight.

“People have always doubted me and I always proved them wrong,” said the Cameroon-born star. ‘It is clear I am a trouble for elite boxers and AJ should prepare himself for a battle because I am like nothing he has ever faced. It is going to be another spectacle for boxing fans in Riyadh, only this time I have no intention of leaving it in the hands of the judges.”

Hall of Fame Promoter and Founder of Queensberry Promotions Frank Warren, added: “Friday 8 March in Riyadh will be another monumental event for the sport of boxing made possible by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and his team, with who we have established a brilliantly productive working relationship. Riyadh Season has opened up new and thrilling frontiers for our great sport and, in Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou, we have a further Heavyweight blockbuster that will surely capture the imagination of fans right across the world.”

Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Sport and Joshua’s long time Promoter said: “This is undoubtedly one of the biggest fights in boxing and I am grateful His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh shares that view. We’re talking about two giants in Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou, two men who look like they are carved out of stone, two devastating punchers. We are ready for another huge event in Saudi Arabia and a night full of drama. After AJ’s demolition of Otto Wallin he steps up against the former MMA Lineal champ. Francis has already proved his credentials in a thriller with Tyson Fury and comes into this clash full of confidence and fire. This is one of the biggest fights in the sport and one that can be over in the blink of an eye. When these two meet in Riyadh one thing is for sure… it will be Knockout Chaos!”

Manager of Ngannou, Marquel Martin of 3POINT0 Labs said: “Francis has proved he’s the baddest man on the planet against arguably the best boxer in the sport. Anthony Joshua has earned all the respect in the world for his accomplishments, but on March 8th he will realize he’s up against a man who has been through it all in life in Francis Ngannou. Thank you to His Excellency and the KSA for yet another epic Heavyweight showdown.”

To support one of the biggest fight in combat sports history, the event will also feature one of the most impressive undercards in boxing history.

The heavyweight division will take further shape when the Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) defends his WBO Interim world championship against former world champion Joseph Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) from New Zealand.

Rey Vargas (36-1, 22 KOs), the WBC World Champion from Mexico will make a first defence of his belt when he takes on No.1 contender, the Liverpool featherweight firebrand Nick Ball (19-0, 11 KOs).

Featuring on the card is a Battle of Britain at Lightweight, where top young contender and IBF European Champion Mark Chamberlain (14-0, 10 KOs) from England will challenge for the European Champion, Welshman Gavin Gwynne (17-2-1, 5 KOs).

Also performing in Riyadh will be Australian Heavyweight hopeful Justis Huni (8-0, 4 KOs), who will be looking to make his name in the flagship division (opponent details to be included ASAP) plus Cruiserweight prospect Roman Fury (3-0, 1 KO), British Super-Welterweight Jack McGann (9-0-1, 6 KOs) and local Saudi Arabian Super-Lightweight Ziyad Almaayouf (4-0, 1 KO).

About Riyadh Season

Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of unique entertainment events, concerts, exhibitions and dining experiences. Riyadh Season 2023 commenced on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and the historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, followed up by the ‘Day of Reckoning’ on December 23 featuring Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker as the headline fights.

Anthony Joshua:
 
“Every fight leads to somewhere, so this fight is my everything; my soul, my spirit, my mind, my body. We’ll see where it leads me, right now, I’m not thinking about any championship belts, or anything. My main focus is Francis, realistically, it’s getting through an intense, focused training camp, because how I train is how I fight. If I get victory in my training camp I am sure I get victory on the night. We’ll put the belts on hold because my focus is on getting through training camp and getting to the fight successfully.
 
(On Ben Davison) “It’s really good working with him and the whole team at the academy. They have helped a lot. I still speak a lot with Derrick James in the States, but being home and having someone just as good, I’m just searching for greatness really. Continuously searching for greatness, how to elevate myself, push forward in every aspect of my game, and this is just another challenge and during each challenge I find out so much about myself. Even though I already know who I am, I know I am going to discover new things about myself and things that can take me to new heights. 
 
“He brings two arms, a body, like every other fighter does. But it’s his mind that is different. Everyone has their own unique mind. In terms of the frame and make up, I’ve seen people like him and he’s seen people like me many times before, but it’s his mind that I have to conquer in the ring. You have to take their soul and spirit, and I am looking for the challenge for sure, it’s going to be good, explosive. There’s many ways to skin a cat, I can counter-punch, he can counter-punch. We can both box, we can both trade, it’s going to be a good fight – and shout out to His Excellency, my promoter, my team at 258 for getting me in this position to showcase why I am the top Heavyweight in the UK. I’m not really concerned about the world, I’m trying to conquer where I live and make everyone know that I am the one that puts boxing on the map.”
 
Francis Ngannou:
 
“Thank you to my brother, His Excellency, for once again putting me in this position to live my dream and have all those great experiences like I had in Riyadh two months ago, it was amazing. Hopefully this will be the same thing.
 
“I’ve been sitting here and listening to people talking and even Eddie praising me, and I appreciate that, but at the same time, I am not sure if he wants me to sleep on his guy – but that’s not going to happen. I am just a beginner out here that’s going to train really hard and do everything as the underdog to win the fight. 
 
“I don’t take my last fight as a reference, I know exactly where I am at, I’m going to get better and better and that’s how I see things. I’m preparing for a tough fight, the Fury fight was great, but that’s in the past and I have a new challenge in front of me, and I take it more serious now than before because now I think there’s something more on the line, which is probably the Undisputed fight. So let’s see, I will do something that no-one has done before and I believe I have the tools to do that, starting with having the win over ‘AJ’ on March 8 in a big fight – not an easy fight, but a possible one and I am going to take it.
 
“I’m going to fight him, so what do you think I am going to do? I will look for his chin. That’s what you do in a fight, you try to hit someone on the chin or wherever to try to hurt him. I heard he doesn’t have a chin, I don’t know if it’s true or not, we’re going to find out and I hope that I have the opportunity to test that – that’s my wish.”
 
Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:
 
“Just to echo what Frank said, our thanks to the Crown Prince and of course, His Excellency. I likened this earlier, the whole experience, to Football Manager. Imagine being the biggest fan in boxing and having the ability to sit in a room and put fights together at the drop of a hat that the fans want to see. In just five months we’ve seen Fury vs. Ngannou, The Day of Reckoning, Fury vs. Usyk and ‘AJ’ vs. Ngannou, and so much more to come. This is such an incredible opportunity for boxing and it’s being delivered by someone that has an incredible passion for the sport, someone that’s unbelievably knowledgeable. I thought Ngannou and Fury was going to be a mismatch, and His Excellency told me I would be wrong. I said Callum Smith was going to beat Artur Beterbiev and he told me I was wrong. It shows he knows his boxing.
 
“I met Francis under a year ago in Las Vegas where he told me about his ambition to be in big boxing events. A guy with an unbelievable story, a very strong mind, but if I’m honest, I didn’t take him seriously. I have never known anyone to walk into a sport and compete and, in my opinion, and it was close, beat Tyson that night. It’s never been done before, and he might be unlucky that he’s not sitting here as the World Lineal Heavyweight champion on his professional debut.
 
“So now, we take him very seriously, and after that fight that we give him unbelievable props for, I said that the biggest fight out there outside of Fury vs. Usyk, is Joshua vs. Ngannou. We had signed the Joshua vs. Ngannou fight and as soon as that show finished on December 23, His Excellency said to myself and Frank, ‘we need to talk – what is the biggest event we can do on March 8?’ The answer was this and in my opinion you have the two biggest fights in the Heavyweight division happening within three weeks of each other in Saudi Arabia. It’s an incredible opportunity. For ‘AJ’, there’s big jeopardy in this fight. I truly believe he’s going to be the Undisputed Heavyweight champion, but he’s doing it the difficult way, going through what some might call immovable objects in the giant of a man to my left. The former UFC Heavyweight World champion, but now, a guy we take very, very seriously in the sport of boxing. ‘AJ’ is on a roll, he’s with a great team, and we cannot wait. This is a dream opportunity for the sport and we’re all so invested to give the fans incredible nights.”
 
Frank Warren, Founder of Queensberry Promotions:
 
“This is the fourth event of the Riyadh season and if it wasn’t for His Excellency and his team, the support of Riyadh Season and Saudi Arabia, these fights just would not be happening. That’s a fact. He has been instrumental in making these and previous fights happen, and instrumental in getting Eddie and myself sitting at the same table. We’ve just made another bog fight happen, his best against my best, we’ll make that event happen. This is just what boxing fans have crying out for, begging for us to make to make the fights which sometimes have not been financially viable to make, but now it’s changed. It’s happening so fast, and it’s one after the other, great fights, with fantastic undercards, it just keeps coming and coming and coming. We’re in the golden age of boxing, without a doubt, and if anyone doesn’t want to be on board then they are a fool. I’m very disappointed that Oscar De La Hoya should say what he said, he should know better than that; this is great for the sport. The fights are happening. And it’s down to His Excellency and his team, and at my age, I’m 72 next month, and I’ve never seen or been involved with anything like this in boxing. This is just brilliant, and if you are a boxing fan, you are in boxing heaven. So from me personally, and I think from everyone in boxing, thank you your Excellency for everything you’ve done to make these events happen.
 
“Prior to the fight with Tyson and Ngannou, I genuinely, genuinely thought it would be a tough fight for a short period of time but thought that Tyson would get the better of him and win the fight very early on. But it turned out that Francis brought something to the boxing ring that I never expected, and that was that he could actually box. We knew he was a tough competitor, we knew he could punch, we knew he’s going to be a handful on the inside because that’s the way that MMA fighters fight, but he was more than that. He was a switch-hitter, he got his timing right, and he put Tyson through one of the toughest fights he’s been through in a long, long time. He put him on the floor, I will say I thought Tyson had an off-night and came through it all, but this guy making his debut like that surprised everybody. I take my hat off to ‘AJ’ for taking this fight because he’s fighting someone that, OK there’s video footage now and you can see what he’s done in a boxing ring which Tyson didn’t have the benefit of, but what has Francis learned? Is he going to be a better fighter? I think for ‘AJ’ he’s in a tough fight, it’s Knockout Chaos because they both have bombs ion their hands, and it will be interesting to see how the fight develops. I think it will be explosive and for the winner, the big fight is happening on February 17 with Tyson and Usyk, and would we like to see them with the winner of this fight? Everyone in boxing would love to see it.”
 
Dewey Cooper (trainer of Francis Ngannou):
 
“The Tyson Fury fight was no surprise to us. We told you all from day one what was going to happen. The same thing applies here. We expect fire, but at the end of the day, the flaming fists of Francis will finish ‘AJ’ on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 28, 2023) — It wasn’t without its fair share of surprises, but The Gypsy King prevailed.

WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson Fury overcame an early knockdown to secure a 10-round split decision victory over lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou 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 help to temper the MMA legend’s aggression. Fury 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. 

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.

Fury said, “That definitely wasn’t in the script. He’s one hell of a fighter. He’s strong, a big puncher, and a lot better as a boxer than we thought he would ever be. He’s a very awkward man, and he’s a good puncher. I respect him a lot, before the fight and afterward.

“He was very awkward. He wasn’t coming forward. He was standing back and waiting for me to land my punches and then try to counter. He’s a good fighter. He’s given me one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years.

“It’s part of boxing. I got caught behind the head again. My legs weren’t hurt or nothing. I was alright. And I got back up and it was what it was. And I got back to my boxing. I don’t know how close it was. But I got the win, and that’s what it is.”

Ngannou said, “We can run it back again, and I’m sure I will get the better. This was my first boxing match. It was a great experience. I’m not giving any excuse. I know I came up short. But I’m going to go back and work harder with a little more experience and a little more feeling of the game. And I will come back even stronger. 

“At first, I was a little nervous. This is a new sport that I never did. Now I know I can do this sh*t. So, get ready!”

Heavyweight: In an all-British showdown, Fabio Wardley (17-0, 16 KOs) put an exclamation point on a bitter, months-long rivalry with David Adeleye (12-1, 11 KOs) by scoring a seventh-round TKO. Wardley pressed the action while Adeleye circled the ring. Adeleye found openings in the fifth round, but in round seven, Wardley was back in control with firm jabs. Then, while separating from a clinch, Wardley landed a right-left combo that floored Adeleye and ended matters with another combo shortly thereafter. Time of stoppage: 2:43.

Heavyweight Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (33-3, 23 KOs) defeated Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-2, 22 KOs) via third-round TKO. Parker spent the first two rounds deciphering Kean’s defense. He then began to land uppercuts in between Kean’s guard, first wobbling him and then stopping him with another. Time of stoppage: 2:04.

Heavyweight: Montreal-based wrecking ball Arslanbek Makhmudov (18-0, 17 KOs) notched a first-round TKO against Junior Anthony Wright (20-5-1, 17 KOs). Makhmudov dropped Wright with a right hand followed by consecutive left hooks. Wright survived the knockdown, but another right hand by “The Lion” nearly had Wright out on his feet, forcing referee Steve Gray to stop the fight. Time of stoppage: 1:10.

Heavyweight: 18-year-old British prodigy Moses Itauma (6-0, 4 KOs) iced Istvan Bernath (10-2, 8 KOs) via first-round TKO. Itauma sent Bernath to the canvas with a jab before ending matters with combinations around Bernath’s guard. Time of stoppage: 1:53.
 

By Norm Frauenheim –

Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou defies description. Fight or fraud? Fish or foul? It depends on who’s doing the marketing and/or the mocking.

Sift through all of the possibilities, and there’s only one: Exhibition. That, and all of its interpretations, was on parade at a news conference Thursday in Riyadh.

 At times, it was slapstick funny. Send in the clowns. At times, it began to redefine what it means to be cringe-worthy.

A cringe-worthy moment: Fury stripped off his jacket and vest for a bare-chested pose in a forehead-to-forehead stare-down with Ngonnou. His 59-year-old father, John Fury, quickly joined the strip show shedding his shirt and then stepping in front of the camera. Gently, John Fury – animated as in cartoon-like — had to be moved to one side. It wasn’t his show. At least, it’s not supposed to be.

All of the time, it was clear it was all about the cash.

There’s plenty of that being exhibited, although none of the numbers have been confirmed. Let’s just say that Fury’s income could make him an oil baron.

Speculation puts his payday at $60 million for an exhibition (Saturday, 2 pm ET/11 am PT, ESPN + pay-per-view), that looks a lot like a tune-up for a fight – a real one –projected for Dec. 23 against Ukrainian heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, also in Riyadh and also for an astonishing bankroll. Talk – and that’s all it is – puts that paycheck at $100 million.

For the Saudis, Fury looks to be another investment in their so-called sports wash. He’s another name, another possible diversion from the controversy surrounding the Saudi Kingdom’s reputation for repression. Their sports collection includes Phil Mickelson, Formula One auto racing, soccer and horse racing. A major addition would be Fury-Usyk, one of the biggest heavyweight fights in a fabled history.

“Tyson Fury is certainly the best heavyweight since Muhammad Ali and maybe ever,’’ said Fury’s 92-year-old American promoter, Bob Arum, also Ali’s former promoter.

But boxing isn’t golf. It’s a risk, one that maybe Mickelson wouldn’t even bet on.  With one punch, everything can go wrong and often does.

Fury-Ngannou, at $79.99 pay-per-view, is being mocked precisely because it looks like a set-up for the reported December date with Usyk. The Saturday exhibition is not even listed under Fury’s BoxRec entry. If the reliable, go-to BoxRec doesn’t list it, it’s not a fight. Then, there’s Fury’s World Boxing Council heavyweight belt. It’s not at stake, although WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman was there with a specially-made belt, named “the Riyadh Champion belt.’’ That makes interim sound like a promotion.

The guess is that if the unlikely happens, the WBC belt would still be in play in December against Usyk, who holds the three other belts. Then, there’s Ngonnou, a UFC champion, a mixed martial arts fighter known for unprecedented power.

Even Mike Tyson, a celebrity cornerman for Ngannou, marvels at power that once defined him.

“Nobody takes a punch like Tyson Fury, but this is a different kind of power,’’ said Tyson, who wore a businessman’s suit to Thursday’s exhibit of Fury exhibitionists.

Tyson is there to help sell the show. He’s an intriguing angle. In 1988, John Fury named his son after Tyson, who had just begun his wild run through the heavyweight division.

Mike Tyson warns his namesake about Ngannou’s power. It’s a limb-breaker, he says.

“I saw him hit this guy,’’ Tyson said as he gestured with an imaginary blow to the jaw. “And the guy wound up breaking a leg or ankle or whatever.’’

But there are doubts about whether Ngannou, of Cameroon, will ever land that big punch. He’s a novice boxer. Video of him hitting the mitts showed power, but no precision or hand speed. Autumn could turn to winter in the time it takes Ngannou to land. The clever Fury could feint, duck, feint again and counter within that long moment. Leg-breaker? Yeah Ngannou might break his own in a wild miss.

The real measure of Ngannou’s feared power is also hard to judge. He’ll be wearing 10-ounce gloves for the first time. He executed 17 stoppages in mixed martial arts wearing four-ounce gloves.

In his memorable trilogy with Deontay Wilder, he was knocked down four times by a right hand as explosive as any in history. What would Wilder’s power have done had he been wearing four ounces, instead of 10? He and Fury probably would have never gone beyond the first fight and Fury’s 12th-round resurrection from a crushing knockdown.

There are other possibilities, hard to predict and all common to boxing’s familiar chaos. Fury knows them. He’s been there. In September 2019, he fought Swede Otto Wallin in a fight perceived to be a tune-up for his first rematch with Wilder. The heavily favored Fury won a debatable unanimous decision in Las Vegas. He also suffered a nasty cut to his right eye.

A Wallin punch caused the cut in the third round. Wallin would do further damage, enough to argue that the fight should have been stopped in his favor.

Fury needed a reported 47 stitches and time to heal. There was speculation that it would delay the second fight with Wilder. It didn’t. Wilder conceded it was risky, that the cut might rupture. But he never gave a clueless Wilder the chance to try, blowing him away in the seventh round February 2020 in Vegas.

Call it a warning, Exhibit A among risks to a Saudi bet that it’ll host some heavyweight history.   

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 26, 2023) – The combat sports crossover event of the millennium is only two days away.

WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou will lock horns this Saturday, Oct. 28, at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The pay-per-view undercard, an all-heavyweight affair, features a 12-round showdown between undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs), along with a 10-round battle between former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs) and Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs).

Montreal-based wrecking ball Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs) will take on the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round clash, and Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs) will open the pay-per-view broadcast in a six-rounder against Istvan Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs).

At Thursday’s press conference, an eventful show that included an animated John Fury (Tyson’s father), this is what the fighters had to say:

Tyson Fury
 
“It’s absolutely unbelievable to be out here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To be top of the bill, the main event, is even more special. We’ve all got a lot to be thankful for. We’ve all come a long way to be here. This has all happened in a short space of time. And to see it all unfold is really amazing.”
 
“Francis Ngannou is a big man. I see he’s taken a bit of advice from me with the clothes he’s wearing. He’s looking a bit snazzy. They say the finest form of flattery is imitation. And he’s got his suit on with no shirt on, and I started that! So, he’s imitating. But, there’s one thing I say, and it’s that many will imitate, but no one will ever replicate. Because there’s only one Gypsy King.”
 
“How do I prepare for a guy like this? It’s pretty difficult, but in America, we say a statement like this, ‘I’m gonna knock a motherf***er out!’ And that’s how we do it. I’ve been working with SugarHill {Steward} to knock him out cold on Saturday night, and I have no doubt in my mind that I will knock him out.”
 
“He’s a big, strong guy. Obviously, he’s got a good punch. But so am I. I’m a big, strong guy. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be the world heavyweight champion. But I believe there’s levels to the game. And he’s going to find out my level on Saturday night.”

Francis Ngannou

“This is a dream come true. And I remember four years ago, when I first met Mike Tyson, my only request was for him to be in my corner if I fight Tyson Fury. People thought I was losing it. They thought I was crazy. They thought it would never happen. But here we are. The fight is happening. So, I’m living a dream. This has always been my dream. It wasn’t easy, but we are here.”
 
“I want to thank Tyson Fury for taking the fight and taking this risk because there is a lot of risk here for him. He might go to sleep on Saturday night. But I appreciate his courage, and I thank him.”
 
“This camp has been different from my past camps. It’s a different experience, a different beast. I was aware that there was a mountain in front of me, so that’s why we started the camp a lot earlier. And it went well, but having somebody like Mike Tyson around and my coach Dewey Cooper was very helpful in terms of approaching this fight.”
 
“We got Mike Tyson in, and the first thing he said that stuck in my mind is when he said, ‘Listen, he has two hands and two feet like you.’ And I got that. And that’s enough for Saturday night. Tyson Fury is definitely the best in boxing, but that’s stopping on Saturday night.”

David Adeleye
 
“Saturday night is two days away. The talking is done now. We’ll see how tough he is.”
 
“He’s not the same as me. I see his mannerisms and how he carries himself. We just ain’t the same. But I don’t really take it all in. What matters is what happens on fight night. What he does other than that doesn’t really bother me.”
 
“What’s going to happen when I take him into deep waters? I know he’s never faced a banger like me. I don’t think, I know.”

“It’s nothing towards him personally. I just hate how he talks, and he talks like he’s a seasoned pro. The man has had 16 fights, I don’t really understand.”
 
“He’s got no boxing ability. He can only fight one way, and that’s walking forward. He’s got no boxing I.Q. I can back up and I know Wardley will follow me. He’s not intelligent enough to see that I’m setting traps. And on Saturday night, you will see that.”

Fabio Wardley
 
“It’s a very special stage for a very special night. There is a lot to look forward to on this card, but I think the fight with me and David has captured a lot of eyes. A lot of people are interested. And I’m looking forward to having a big night.”
 
“He hasn’t faced anyone of any worth or of any level, so there’s nothing there for me to look at and say ‘Okay, maybe he has shown this or that.’ There’s nothing I’ve seen that has made me consider that, so it’s all smoke and mirrors for me.”
 
“I’d say I’ll be the first man to beat him, but I think there was someone else on his record who pretty much beat him, but he did well to get home a home decision, so maybe I’ll be the first on record. But I think it’s been seen by quite a wide audience in the boxing community that there are flaws there that have been exploited. And when it gets hot, like he says, he thinks he knows how to swim, but when he was drowning before, he didn’t know what to do.”

Joseph Parker
 
“Even if I were fighting Tyson Fury, I don’t think there’s any more that we could have done in camp. We’ve trained very hard for Simon Kean. And we respect him as a fighter. We know that he’s got a lot of knockouts, so we’ve done everything in our power to be as prepared as we can be for this challenge.”
 
“I’m going to follow the plan that Andy Lee says and punch his face.”

Simon Kean
 
“This is a big challenge for me. This week, Joseph said he wants to knock me out. Of course he wants to knock me out, and I want to knock him out, too. That’s boxing. I know I have a big challenge and that I will need a great performance to get the win, but I had a really great training camp and I’m ready to shock the world.”

Arslanbek Makhmudov
 
“He has good defense. He’s fast. He’s not as tall as my other opponents, so that’s going to be a good change for me. I can’t ever say that I will score the knockout, but I will just do my best and everything will come from that. I’m going to give a good performance.”

Junior Anthony Wright
 
“I’m in the gym all the time. I work out like I’ve got nothing else to do. I took advantage of the situation, and here I am. It’s definitely going to be a good fight because I am a puncher as well. It’s going to be one of the best fights.”

Moses Itauma
 
“I’m not going to go in there and look for the KO. But obviously, I’m going to go in there and try my best. And hopefully the KO comes. At the end of the day, nobody can predict the future, but if I go in there and do 100 percent, then I’ll come out victorious.”
 

Saturday, October 28

Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT)

Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, 10 rounds, heavyweight
 
Fabio Wardley vs. David Adeleye, 12 rounds, heavyweight

Moses Itauma vs. Istvan Bernath, 6 rounds, heavyweight 
 

 # # # 

About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 25, 2023) – WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury, lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou, and undercard combatants hosted their public workouts today ahead of The Battle of The Baddest this Saturday, Oct. 28, at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The pay-per-view undercard will be an all-heavyweight affair and will feature a 12-round showdown between undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs) and a 10-rounder between former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs) and Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs).

Montreal-based wrecking ball Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs) will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round tilt, and Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs) will open the pay-per-view broadcast in a six-rounder against Istvan Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs).

This is what Fury and Ngannou had to say after their respective workouts:

Tyson Fury

“I showed the best version of me, and if he can deal with that, best of luck to him.”

“I was in there floating like a butterfly. Nineteen stone, can you believe that? And 6-foot-9. And moving like that! That’s shocking. It’s not fair, really!”

“It’s happening. He’s the bull, I’m the matador! 99.999 percent of the time, the matador wins!”

“Francis Ngannou is a big, fat sausage. That’s why he won’t take his top off. He’s embarrassed of his body. If it was up to Francis, he’d fight with his t-shirt on. Facts!

Francis Ngannou

“To be honest, I haven’t gotten any respect from the boxing community, so I am not expecting anybody to respect me. I think I need to claim my own respect. Respect is not given. You don’t just walk out there and demand people to respect you for no reason. I think respect is earned, whether it’s the boxing community or life in general.”

“Yes, I am going to fight, and if that big shot comes, it comes. If it doesn’t come, I really intend to fight properly.”

“Anything is possible. It’s possible. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. In fact, see  how we are talking about Tyson Fury? Who would’ve believed that a couple years ago?

“I was having fun. I almost wanted to just dance. Then I realized that I would show them my dance skills. And I was like, ‘nah, I don’t have any!””

Saturday, October 28

Top Rank on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT)
 

Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, 10 rounds, heavyweight
 
Fabio Wardley vs. David Adeleye, 12 rounds, heavyweight

Moses Itauma vs. Istvan Bernath, 6 rounds, heavyweight 
 

 # # # 

About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

The combat crossover event of the year features WBC and lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) versus lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou (17-3, 16 Finishes) in a highly anticipated 10-round boxing match. The long-awaited battle between two giants in their fields kicks off Riyadh Season, a months-long entertainment and sports festival in the Kingdom’s largest city.

The Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV all-heavyweight event will also feature:

• Undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs)and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs)facing off in a 12-rounder.
   
• Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs), a New Zealand-born veteran who trains with Fury, will fight Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs) in a 10-rounder.
   
• Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs), a 260-plus pound power puncher fighting out of Montreal, Canada, will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-rounder.
   
• Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs), Great Britain’s 18-year-old heavyweight hopeful, will see action in a six-rounder against Istvan Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs).

Calling the action: ESPN’s Joe Tessitore, Hall of Famer, Timothy Bradley, Jr., Bernardo Osuna, and Brett Okamoto.

Original Programming:

Prior to Saturday’s event, ESPN will air the original production: Road to Riyadh: Fury vs. Ngannou, a 30-minute all access preview of the upcoming super-event.

Road to Riyadh: Fury vs. Ngannou (All times ET)

The program will also be available for replay on-demand in the ESPN App, on ESPN.com and on ESPN+.

ESPN.com

From Ali to Inoki to Fury vs. Ngannou, highlighting the biggest crossover fights of all time (Jeff Wagenheim)
Teddy Atlas: How I’d train Francis Ngannou to face Tyson Fury
Thursday: Timothy Bradley Jr.’ s take: There’s a path for Ngannou to upset Fury
Friday: Francis Ngannou’s full circle journey into boxing with Mike Tyson by his side (Brett Okamoto)

ESPN+: On Demand Shows, Archives & Premium Articles

• Top Rank: Real Time– All-access with top fighters throughout fight week as they work their way to fight night. 
• Who Do U Fight 4?– Learn what drivesthe next generation of Top Rank stars. 
• State of Boxing– Post-show coverage of the biggest fights on ESPN and ESPN+. 
• Best of Boxing Spotlight – An archive of the all-time best Top Rank fights. 

Follow @ESPNRingside: Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok

Follow @ESPNMMA: Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok 

Fury vs. Nngannou (All Times ET)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 24, 2023) — The Battle of the Baddest fight week kicked off in grand fashion Tuesday evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou made their grand arrivals today ahead of their showdown this Saturday, Oct. 28, at Boulevard Hall.

The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The pay-per-view undercard will be an all-heavyweight extravaganza and features a 12-round showdown between undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs), along with a 10-rounder between former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs) and Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs).

Montreal-based wrecking ball Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs) will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round tilt, and Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs) will open the pay-per-view broadcast in a six-rounder against Istvan Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs).

At Tuesday’s grand arrivals, this is what Fury and Ngannou had to say:

Tyson Fury

“I can stand and trade with anybody. I stood and traded with Wilder. I traded with Wladimir {Klitschko}, and I’ll stand and trade with this little bi*ch.”

“I might give him a slick, master boxing performance, not let the ugly man touch me once. That would be unbelievable, wouldn’t it? I might start dancing, tripling the jab like Apollo Creed, move around, just stick and move.

“When {Ngannou} feels this right hand, he won’t be winning very much.”

“Sometimes I stand in front of the mirror and think I’m an absolute genius. When everyone thought it was all over for the GK, he comes and totally redeems himself and pulls this out of the hat. Only six months ago, I didn’t know if I ever was going to box again. Now, here we go.”

“I’m not thinking about {the Oleksandr Usyk fight}. I got this big sausage to deal with, and once I grill him up nice and good, then we’ll move on to the next one.”

Francis Ngannou

“I can’t believe it. Walking from there, I looked at it like, “The boy made it.'”

“I didn’t try to replicate what Fury would do. I’m not going in there to play Fury’s game. I’m going there to play my own game. So, my training was based on me, how I can fight, and that’s what me and my coaches worked on. It went well. Tough, but it went well.”

“I’m aware of my lack of experience in boxing, but I am a man of challenges, and I’ve overcome a lot of challenges.”

“Before anything can happen on Saturday night, there are two. We are already the two baddest men on the planet. We’re just aiming for the first spot.”

“I’ve been waiting on Tyson Fury for four years. At the time, I didn’t know about Oleksandr Usyk. When the opportunity came, I wanted Tyson Fury. He’s the guy.”

Saturday, October 28

Top Rank on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT)

Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, 10 rounds, heavyweight
 
Fabio Wardley vs. David Adeleye, 12 rounds, heavyweight

Moses Itauma vs. Istvan Bernath, 6 rounds, heavyweight 
 

 # # # 

About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 23, 2023) – Fight week for The Battle Of The Baddest is finally here. WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury will square off against lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou on Saturday, Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The pay-per-view undercard will be an all-heavyweight affair and features a 12-round showdown between undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs).

Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs), a New Zealand-born veteran who trains with Fury, will take on Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs) in a 10-rounder.

Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs), a 260-plus pound wrecking ball out of Montreal, Canada, will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-rounder. 

Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs), Great Britain’s 18-year-old heavyweight hopeful, will open the pay-per-view broadcast in a six-rounder against once-beaten Hungarian Istvan Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs).

Before Saturday’s full night of action, the full suite of fight week events will stream live on Top Rank’s YouTube, Twitter and Facebook pages.

New episodes of Top Rank Real Time, a behind-the-scenes look at the fighters and their camps, will premier every day throughout fight week on Top Rank’s YouTube channel.
  
Tuesday, October 24 : Fury vs. Ngannou Grand Arrivals
1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
Streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube, X (Twitter) & Facebook pages
 
Wednesday, October 25: Fury vs. Ngannou Public Workouts
1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
Streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube, X (Twitter)  & Facebook pages
 
Thursday, October 26: Fury vs. Ngannou Main Event & Undercard Press Conferences
1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
Streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube, X (Twitter) & Facebook pages
 
Friday, October 27: Fury vs. Ngannou Weigh-In
11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT
Streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube, X (Twitter) & Facebook pages

Saturday, October 28: Fury vs. Ngannou Fight Day
PPV Broadcast
2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
CLICK HERE for Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV Event Order Page

PPV broadcast includes: Fury-Ngannou, Wardley-Adeleye, Parker-Kean, Makhmudov-Wright and Itauma-Bernath.

Post-Fight Press Conference (After Main Event)
Streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube, X (Twitter) & Facebook pages
 

 # # # 

About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

On Saturday, October 21, ESPN will premiere the original program: Road to Riyadh: Fury vs. Ngannou, a 30-minute all access preview of combat sport’s crossover event of the year featuring WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (Boxing record: 33-0-1, 24 KOs) versus lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou (MMA record: 17-3, 16 Finishes) in a highly anticipated 10-round boxing match.

On Saturday October 28, at 2:00 p.m. ET/ 11:00 a.m. PT, Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV will stream the all-heavyweight boxing event live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The long-awaited battle between two giants in their fields kicks off Riyadh Season, a months-long entertainment and sports festival in the Kingdom’s largest city.

ESPN+ is available on ESPN.com and the ESPN App for mobile and connected TV devices.

In addition to the airtimes below leading up to the October 28 event, Road to Riyadh: Fury vs. Ngannou will be available for replay on-demand in the ESPN App and on ESPN.com and ESPN+.

Road to Riyadh: Fury vs. Ngannou (All times ET)

ONE OF THE most highly-anticipated fights of the year, the British heavyweight title showdown between Fabio Wardley and David Adeleye, takes place in Riyadh on October 28 on the undercard of the Battle of the Baddest event, featuring Tyson Fury against MMA king Francis Ngannou, live on TNT Sports Box Office in the UK & Ireland.

Today, in London, the chief support participants came together in front of the media ahead of departure for Saudi Arabia and below are a selection of key quotes from the top-table section of proceedings.

Frank Warren: “I think this is a fabulous fight and it is the first time I have met Fabio, other than speaking to him briefly on the telephone. This is what it is all about, undefeated heavyweights, two rising stars of boxing in a main support bout to a unique event, which will be broadcast all over the world. Whoever wins this fight is going to establish himself around the world, with lots of eyeballs watching. This is a huge opportunity and you can just feel the buzz about this and the event. This fight is going to be special. We had that unfortunate incident last time and hopefully that has been dealt with and is done. I hope we can put that behind us now and focus on the fight. Make no bones about it, this fight will be exciting.”

David Adeleye: “I learned nothing about him last time because I know what sort of man he is anyway, so it didn’t really show me much. He is not the same as me, he ain’t built from the same cloth. I kind of knew that already. We haven’t got to talk about the situation, but I match energy. I don’t go in there with no malice. I am always smiling and always good, I just match energy. I am pretty good at doing it. You walked towards me and got dealt with. It was jittery, I just pushed you back. When I am arguing with team members I am not going to let someone of 17 stone walk towards me. I don’t get nervous, I don’t know what it is, it is hard to explain, but nerves ain’t it. Someone like Fabio Wardley could never bring on those sort of nerve in me. What does he do for me to be nervous?”

“I am getting paid to beat him up, it is easy money. Eddie Hearn doesn’t put his money on you, what are you talking about?”

Fabio Wardley: “I don’t know if I particularly learned anything, nothing that I hadn’t seen already, in other situations and other circumstances, that he is a bit jittery. When the cameras are on, it is a big stage and a big event, people’s personality shows through. Nervous, jittery and on edge, twitchy – all things we had assessed already. It was nothing new, but funny to see up close, that is all. All I did was turn and look at you and you jittered. Do you push everyone who walks towards you and approaches you? So it is just me you are jittery around then? I’ve had people I’ve had issues with walk towards me and I’m not on edge or nervous, I’m cool. I walked to you to calm things down. We had met before and that is why I came over to say there was no need for this. Play your role, we are here to be professionals at the end of the day. I am used to having a mature interaction with someone where you can walk over. There was no need for that.”

“I don’t think it is easy money. I am getting paid to be whatever because Frank realises that you are not what they thought you were, you are not what he thought you was, so he has brought me over to do a job, get rid of you. I think Frank is betting his money on me.”

“I am a free guy, I can go wherever I want.”

(Oct. 10, 2023) — The combat sports crossover event of the millennium will be beamed stateside from halfway around the globe.

WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury is set to go toe- to-toe with lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou on Saturday, Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV, an all-heavyweight extravaganza, will also feature:

• Undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs) facing off in a 12-rounder. The Wardley-Adeleye rivalry hit new heights at the Fury-Ngannou press conference in London last month, as the fighters and their camps brawled on the red carpet. The melee left Wardley with cuts above his left eye and under his chin.
   
• Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs), a New Zealand-born veteran who trains with Fury, will fight Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs) in a 10-rounder.
   
• Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs), a 260-plus pound power puncher fighting out of Montreal, Canada, will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Wright replaces Agron Smakici, who withdrew from the contest.
   
• Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs), Great Britain’s 18-year-old heavyweight hopeful, will see action in a six-rounder.

# # #
About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Sept. 28, 2023) — Unbeaten British heavyweight standouts Fabio Wardley and David Adeleye will meet in a high-stakes clash Saturday, Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 12-round battle of emerging stars will serve as the chief support contest to the historic showdown between WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson Fury and lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou.
 
The premier combat sports event of the year, which marks the opening of Riyadh Season – the world’s biggest entertainment event – features a night of action delivered by boxing’s marquee division, the heavyweights.
 
Former WBO world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs), from Auckland, New Zealand, goes up against Canada’s Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs), and bone-crunching puncher Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs), also residing in Canada, takes on Croatian veteran Agron Smakici (19-2, 17 KOs). Both fights are scheduled for 10 rounds.
 
And, in a special six-round special attraction, 18-year-old heavyweight phenomenon Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs) will face an opponent to be named.
 
This unprecedented heavyweight spectacular is promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, along with Eye Of The Tiger, promoter of Kean and Makhmudov.
 
Fury-Ngannou and the heavyweight undercard will be available on pay-per-view in the United States.
  
Ipswich’s Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) became English champion in 2021 with a first-round stoppage of Nick Webb before capturing British honors with a third-round TKO of Nathan Gorman last November. He is coming off a fourth-round TKO over Michael Coffie in April.
 
Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs), from London, is the current WBO European champion, having won his maiden professional title by defeating the previously unbeaten Dmytro Bezus at York Hall in February and subsequently stopping Emir Ahmatovic in June.
 
The Adeleye-Wardley rivalry hit new heights at the Fury-Ngannou press conference in London earlier this month, as the fighters and their camps brawled on the red carpet. The melee left Wardley with cuts above his left eye and under his chin.
 
“I’ve got a clean bill of health,” Wardley said. “Nothing has changed. I am still feeling strong, moving hard, and hitting new numbers.
 
“I don’t know how to quantify how my desire to win by knockout has increased after what happened but, yes, substantially. Massively, because I am a professional person and I like to act like a professional, but if you want to go early, then that’s fine, and I am ready to go at any minute.
 
“When those situations occur, all it does is fuel the fire more. All you have done is made it worse for yourself. You’ve made me train harder, you’ve made me work for it more, you’ve made me want it more.”
 
Adeleye said, “I’m really looking forward to competing on the global stage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Everywhere I go, people are talking about this fight. I intend to put on a show and display why I’m the best young heavyweight out there.”
 
Parker captured the WBO crown in 2016 with a points triumph over future champion Andy Ruiz Jr. in Auckland. He made two title defenses before an unsuccessful unification fight against Anthony Joshua in 2018. He won the WBO Intercontinental championship in May 2021 with a decision victory over Derek Chisora, making a successful defense against the Chisora seven months later.  
 
Parker lost a bid for the WBO Interim world title against Joe Joyce last September, but he has enjoyed a successful 2023 with wins over Jack Massey and Faiga Opelu.  Kean won the WBC International Silver championship in 2019 with a defeat of former world champion Siarhei Liakhovich, making a successful defense against Daniel Martz the following year. He has won eight straight via the short route, most recently notching a seventh-round stoppage over Eric Molina in March.
 
Parker said, “I’m looking forward to being back in Saudi Arabia. It was great the last time I was there to support another fighter and boxing event. This time I’m going to take care of business in my own fight against a tough challenge in Simon Kean. It is fantastic to be on this card and to be part of this major event. My preparations are on point. There is not long to go now.”
 
Kean said, “This is the moment all fighters dream of their whole career. This is what I’ve been working for and asking for. It’s time to deliver.”
 
Makhmudov won the WBC Continental Americas strap in 2019, becoming the first man to stop Jonnie Rice. He went on to win the NABF and NABO belts with a slew of wins over notable opponents, including Pavel Sour, Erkan Teper and Mariusz Wach. Makhmudov had a triumphant United States debut in July, obliterating Raphael Akpejiori in two rounds. Smakici challenged for the vacant European title in his last fight, but he suffered a loss to the undefeated Agit Kabayel. The Croatian’s only other setback came against then-unbeaten Zhan Kossobutskiy in 2019.
 
Makhmudov said, “Saudi Arabia is a very special place for me. It’s always been my goal to fight there, so I’m grateful to have this opportunity. I’m looking forward to putting on a great show.”

LONDON (Sept. 7, 2023) – Lineal & WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and lineal heavyweight MMA king Francis Ngannou met face-to-face today at the kickoff press conference for the most anticipated combat sports event of the year.

Fury and Ngannou will collide in a 10-round boxing match on Saturday, October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in an epic showdown between two giants of their fields, which will mark the opening of this year’s Riyadh Season. The fight will take place under the official rules of professional boxing, with the three ringside judges using the 10-point must system.

This clash of heavyweight titans is promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and Ngannou’s promotional banner, GIMIK Fight Promotions.
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Fury-Ngannou will be available on pay-per-view in the United States.

At today’s press conference, this is what Fury, Ngannou and Hall of Fame promoters Bob Arum and Frank Warren had to say:

Tyson Fury

“I’m absolutely honored to be fighting Francis.  He’s going to be a very, very good fighting man. You can see that he’s massive. He’s in shape. He’s going to be a real challenge. It’s something different for me. I’m used to boxing boxers and boxing the head off of somebody. But fighting an MMA guy who comes in with a different style is going to be different.”

“I can’t wait for it. It’s going to be an absolutely fantastic event. I’m honored that I’m a part of it, and I’m honored that Francis is a part of it. I’ve got to take my hat off to Francis for his story, where he’s come from, the fight, the grind, the determination and everything he’s put into it to get to where he is.”

“I will give Francis the respect that he deserves as a warrior, as a man and as a world champion. He’s a big man. He’s very strong and powerful. And it’s in my interest to give it the 100 percent training in camp and bring in the best sparring possible for me.”

Francis Ngannou 

“I am very excited. I am very happy. I have been dreaming of becoming a boxer since I was a kid. And today, I’m not just going to box; I’m going to box the guy at the peak of the mountain. Usually, I would not pay attention to what is going around. But this thing is so big that I can’t stop thinking about it. History is going to be made.”

“It’s something that I didn’t see coming, even though my dream was always there. I always hoped for it to happen some day. But I didn’t see it lay out this way as one of the biggest events of the world. This is not just a fight. We are going to open up Riyadh Season. So, it is a cultural event that we are fighting on. And we’ll just make this fight bigger and bigger. Nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen, but what I do know for sure is that I’m going to be out there hunting for that guy’s head to take it off. I can guarantee that.”
 
Bob Arum

“This is a massive event around the world, but it’s particularly massive in the United States because MMA has become one of the most popular sports there and Francis Ngannou is a legend in that sport. And Tyson has performed so admirably in the United States over the past few years that he is a massive figure in sports. The fact that they’re both coming together is something that is creating tremendous interest in the United States.”

Frank Warren

“This is a massive event. This is the biggest event I’ve ever been involved with. It’s a crossover event. You’ve got a guy who is the best in his discipline. He is the heavyweight champion. And you’ve got the man, the lineal champion, Tyson Fury, who has done everything you can ask for in a fighter. He’s an undefeated champion, a brilliant boxer and fighter. He can box or he can stand and trade with you. This is going to be something special.”

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About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

RIYADH, Saudi, Arabia (July 11, 2023) —TYSON FURY, THE undefeated Lineal and WBC heavyweight champion of the world, and Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, will collide on Saturday, October 28th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in an epic showdown between two giants of their fields following the opening of Riyadh Season.

The clash to find out who is the “Baddest Man on the Planet” will take place under the official rules of professional boxing, with 3 judges ringside adopting the 10-point must system. Both fighters however are promising to meet in the middle of the ring, go to war and win by knockout in devastating fashion.

An agreement has been reached with Queensberry, Top Rank and Ngannou’s promotional banner, GIMIK Fight Promotions, to partner with Riyadh Season to host the history-making event that will capture the imagination of fight fans around the globe.

The world will discover who can rightly claim the title of “Baddest Man on the Planet” in the capital of the Kingdom, when “The Gypsy King” goes up against “The Predator” to determine the true Heavyweight King.

The fight will see the toughest chin in boxing tested by the Most Powerful Punch in the world, as confirmed by the Guinness World Records. This is a matchup where there will be no quarter given.

The mega-fight, one of the richest in history, will take place in a regulation boxing ring under the standard boxing rules in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s largest city.

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Tyson Fury: “As soon as that bell goes, it’ll be bombs away! This guy is supposed to be the hardest puncher in the world, but let’s see how he reacts when he gets hit by the Big GK. I can’t wait to get back out there under the lights. I’m looking forward to showing the world that The Gypsy King is the greatest fighter of his generation in an epic battle with another master of his craft. Francis looked tough when he jumped in the ring after the Whyte fight, but there is no one tougher than me, and you’ll all see that in devastating fashion on October 28. I’d like to thank my promoters Frank Warren and Bob Arum, my manager Spencer Brown, and the guys at Riyadh Season for making this incredible event possible. It’s going to be a fight for the ages. Get up!”

Francis Ngannou: “I’ve been waiting to meet Tyson in the ring for the past three years. My dream was always to box, and to box the best. After becoming the undisputed MMA Heavyweight Champion, this is my opportunity to make that dream come true and cement my position as the baddest man on the planet.  I’d like to thank Riyadh Season and my team at 3Point0 Labs for helping put this event together. All I will say to Tyson for now is he better dance in that ring because if I touch him, he’s going to sleep.”

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh (Chairman of the Board of the General Entertainment Authority and Head of Riyadh Season): “Riyadh Season 2023 is back for its fourth edition of world class experiences and live events — keeping its claim as one of the most anticipated entertainment seasons worldwide. Following its opening ceremony, Riyadh Season 2023 will kick-off with an electrifying boxing match on October 28th, 2023. MMA and boxing audiences will witness the ultimate clash between two champions, Tyson Fury against Francis Ngannou. This face-off will set a new standard for such an event.”

Frank Warren (Queensberry Chairman): “This heavyweight clash has ‘war’ written all over it. Tyson Fury is the most exciting heavyweight on the planet. It is a game changer; we didn’t want to wait for Tyson to get out and here we are at Riyadh Season in a super-fight. Tyson is at his best when he is breaking new boundaries and this event is one of a kind. History will be made in Riyadh with a battle of the giants from the two leading codes of combat fighting. Tyson is the true King of the Ring and Francis Ngannou will present an intriguing challenge as he has the much publicised Most Powerful Punch in the world, this guy has a sledgehammer in each hand. Can Tyson avoid the sledgehammer all fight? What happens if it lands? It will be a truly spectacular event and Riyadh Season will provide a stage fit for two champions in one boxing ring.”

Bob Arum (Top Rank Chairman): “Tyson Fury is one of the finest heavyweight boxers in history, and he now has an opportunity to lock horns with an MMA legend. This will be a historic event, and we know that Tyson Fury will put on a tremendous fight. The people of Riyadh and fight fans around the world are in for a real treat.”

Marquel Martin (Chief Executive Officer, 3Point0 Labs): “Francis has been defeating the odds since he was born and so has Tyson from what I understand. Both are ‘Kings’ of their respective heavyweight divisions in their primes, and we finally get to see whose head is fit to wear the crown. We have all the respect in the world for Tyson and his team, but they are not accustomed to dealing with a force of nature like Francis. He’s simply BUILT DIFFERENT and I think Tyson will feel that in the Ring come October 28th in Riyadh. History is made here and we’re very much looking forward to shocking the world once again.”

Andrew Cutrow (Chief Business Officer, 3Point0 Labs): “All due respect in the world to a heavyweight fighter of Tyson’s calibre, sitting up there with the Mike Tysons and Muhammad Alis of the world, but there is no one with the will and fight that Francis has. He’s beaten every insurmountable challenge in his life, whether in the ring or in life, and it’s fair to say that NO ONE wants to be on the end of one of his punches. Riyadh should get ready for a fight for the ages – one that will go down in history as one of the greatest sporting events of this generation.”

Tyson Fury background:
The undefeated Fury, 34, the 6-foot-9 self-styled Gypsy King with a record of 33-0-1 (24 KOs), first became unified world heavyweight champion back in November 2015 when he toppled the long-standing ruler Wladimir Klitschko.

Dusseldorf, Germany, was the scene of one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history, when the unified king was befuddled by the bashful Brit. The Ukrainian was completely outfoxed by his younger challenger and Fury wasn’t to be denied. Klitschko was parted from his four belts and Lineal champion status.

After a lengthy period out of the ring, Fury teamed up with Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren to plot his route back to heavyweight domination and, after just two return fights, he accepted the challenge of taking on the previous WBC champion and biggest puncher in world boxing, Deontay Wilder, in December 2018.

The outcome was a hotly disputed draw, which ensured the Fury-Wilder chapter still had a couple more pages to run. Fury linked up with Top Rank and ESPN in America, and a rematch with Wilder took place in February 2020. Fury took many experts by surprise by stating his intention to meet the ferocious hitter in the centre of the ring.

To that end, he teamed up with old comrade SugarHill Steward in order to maximise his own offensive weapons. True to his word, Fury rocked Wilder and put him down in the third and fifth before the towel came in from Wilder’s corner just over halfway through the seventh.

An absolute thriller took place in October 2021 in Las Vegas. Fury picked up where he left off and put Wilder to the canvas in the third before a spirited revival from the ‘Bronze Bomber’ saw Fury down twice in the fourth. The champion prevailed convincingly in the end, with Wilder down the 10th and then out for count in the 11th. An epic trilogy had played out before the eyes of the world.

London was calling when a mandatory defence against WBC interim champion Dillian Whyte was called by the governing body. There was only one place fit to stage the homecoming of The Gypsy King and a packed to the rafters Wembley Stadium became Fury’s field of dreams. Wembley is traditionally known as the ‘Home of Legends’ and Fury added his name to the illustrious list with a spectacular sixth-round stoppage in front of 94,000 spectators.

Fury sold out another stadium last December, this time Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with 60,000 people braving the night air to see him overwhelm Derek Chisora for a third time via a 10^th-round stoppage in what represented a third defence of his WBC world championship.

Francis Ngannou background:
Ngannou, 36, 17-3 (12 KOs) has a life-story that most wouldn’t believe possible. The 6’4, 280-pound physical specimen, hailing from Batie, a small village in Cameroon, Africa, grew up working in a sand quarry starting from the age of 10. At 22 years old, harbouring a dream to box, Francis decided to leave on foot across the Sahara, traveling on raft across the Strait of Gibraltar on a life-threatening journey, only to find himself homeless on the streets of Paris, walking into a gym. It didn’t take long for his coaches and peers there to realize his raw talents and God-given power to knock people out.

He was encouraged to enter an MMA tournament to make some extra cash in November 2013, and less than 8 years later, Francis would become the UFC’s first-ever African Heavyweight Champion, knocking 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, winning the fight via unanimous decision, all while fighting on a torn ACL and MCL against doctors’ guidance.

In late 2022, Ngannou decided to enter free agency and departed the UFC following the end of his contract, subsequently signing an unprecedented mega-deal as a global strategic partner with global MMA co-leader Professional Fighters League (PFL) and their Super Fights Division in 2023, further serving as the Chairman of PFL Africa, set to launch in 2025.

About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment event every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

Interim WBC Heavyweight World Champion Dillian Whyte and Heavyweight UFC star Francis Ngannouwill come together for a special ePress conference at 7pm (BST) tomorrow (Saturday May 30) on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel.

In partnership with StubHub, Sky Sports and VOW, Eddie Hearn hosts the fifth edition of our ‘Rivals’ series following the first four instalments featuring Lee Selby, Anthony Fowler, Ohara Davies, Terri Harper, Fabio Wardley and more. 

Hearn revealed that he has received huge demand to stage an explosive battle between the big-hitters, and is planning on holding talks with UFC boss Dana White with an eye to putting on the fight at the back end of 2020.

Whyte is currently training for a rescheduled clash with Russian danger man Alexander Povetkin that is due to conclude Matchroom Boxing’s groundbreaking ‘Fight Camp’ this summer, but ‘The Body Snatcher’ could then turn his attention to a fight with Ngannou before the end of 2020. 

Ngannou is the No.2 ranked contender in the UFC and the 33-year-old’s mettle has already been tested inside the boxing ring by British Heavyweight Joe Joyce when the big men shared eight rounds of sparring in Las Vegas earlier this year.

“Whoever wants it, can get it,” said Whyte. “We can do two fights, one in the ring and one in the cage. We’ve both got power, we’re both in our prime and one punch can end it. I want to get it on and rock the world.”

“People have been talking about this potential fight for months now,” said Ngannou. “This makes sense down the line, me and Dillian are going to cross paths. I don’t back down from a challenge.”

“Dana loves great fights, so I’ll try to make this happen. This isn’t a gimmick, this is two of the best and baddest in the world. Whyte vs. Ngannou would be huge,” added Hearn. 

Fans can tune in to Rivals tomorrow at 7pm (BST) on the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel here: Whyte vs. Ngannou Rivals