Boxers who have sparred BOTH Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou compare rivals and break down how fight will be won

9 months ago 56

ANTHONY JOSHUA and Francis Ngannou collide in a super-heavyweight fight appropriately billed “Knockout Chaos.”

AJ stands 6ft 6in tall and 17st 13lb while 6ft 4in Ngannou is over 19 -stone making the pair man mountains.

But the fearsome fighters need brave sparring partners to help whip them into the sensational shape.

And if you’re extra fearless, you spar BOTH men.

That is the case for British heavyweight Darren Sealy, who spent two weeks with Ngannou before the MMA star’s boxing debut against Tyson Fury last year.

But more recently, he jumped ship and spent three weeks in camp with AJ at Ben Davison’s Harlow gym.

And then there is 11-0 American Jeremiah Milton, who sparred Joshua in Texas last year but has been in camp with Ngannou for this fight.

And here, both Milton and Sealy break down how the two compare and where the fight could be won and lost.

Power

Milton: There’s different powers, right?

So there’s a snappy power, there’s a heavy power, but all of it is cumulative and some of it can switch you off just like that.

So, I don’t know they both have the tools to put someone to sleep. Just look at the posters, how they drew these guys, they both really look like that. It’s crazy

Sealy: It’s hard to say because power can be deemed in different ways. You’ve got thudding power, you’ve got power from a distance, speed and timing is power as well.

But I’d say overall power it’s more so AJ. He’s been in with a world of different athletes and had to vary his power in different ways so I’d have to say AJ.

But that one-punch knockout, we saw what Ngannou did to Fury in the third round and that was a really good counter punch but it came with speed as well.

Speed

Milton: They’re both athletic, they’re both fast. But a boxer gives you that shot that is more straight. But as the camp progressed, Francis started to sharpen up and putting those punches straight.

At first I wanted to lead towards AJ in the speed department, only because his punches were coming off more straight and fundamentally but they’re both fast enough to get to the target.

But towards the end of camp, I was really impressed with Francis’ improvements and I guess it shows he’s a coachable guy and he’s going to make the adjustments.

Sealy: AJ. I don’t think I have to explain that one but it’s AJ.

Strength

Milton: Both of them are units but that MMA background and Francis is very strong in the clinch.

But there’s always different ways to skin a cat so you can’t just rely on that.

I would definitely say when Francis wants to put you somewhere and grab you, it’s hard to get out of that.

Sealy: Ngannou, I wouldn’t say he’s stronger but he’s got very good inside presence. In the clinch he’s got the wrestling, he’s got the jiu jitsu so he knows how to hold onto you.

If he wants to hold onto you and not have you move, you’re not going anywhere. Whereas AJ, I think he’s very good at creating angles, his punches come from different places.

He’s strong through every punch, he’s got every punch in his arsenal to do the business but with Ngannou when he’s up close he’s very hard to get out of that zone.

Ring IQ

Milton: You get in there and realise the ring is only so big and that’s a very big dude in the ring so the ring gets small after that.

Francis’ IQ as a fighter is that of a fighter, he’s still learning how to navigate. Joshua is going to have that advantage of just being in a boxing ring more.

But these tangibles, it’s like how much do you lean into those?

Sealy: I’d still give it to AJ but it’s not as wide as people may give it. Ngannou showed a lot of attributes and skills with Fury, even went southpaw for a little bit.

He brought a bit of MMA with the superman punch, he was having fun in there, looking comfortable and didn’t look too gassed in the end which is always good.

I’d say ring IQ, I’d give it to AJ but Ngannou has a high level as well.

Stamina

Milton: I think this fight is going to come down to who wants it more because they’re going to have the same mentality and I don’t expect either to break.

I think they’re going to keep clashing until on of their body’s just breaks and it goes before the mind goes. They’ve both shown similar engines but that’s in the mind too.

So whoever wants it will show the will to get those extra few shots off.

Sealy: I’d definitely base it on output and I’d say AJ but he sticks to the fundamentals and if he’s starting to break you down, he’ll start to vary it up.

But he sticks to the game plan whereas Ngannou, I thought he stuck to the game plan very well as well because for me, in my humble opinion, I believe he beat Fury.

I’d say in terms of output, punch distance, inside and outside, keeping things in range, it’s AJ.

Prediction

Milton: It’s going to be a knockout. There’s going to be a knockout. I’m definitely willing to tick on the ballet that somebody’s going to get knocked out.

I don’t think it’s that type of fight, both dudes get hit and that’s because they’re in the process of trying to hit and you get hit.

Two big punchers, what else could possibly happen? I don’t see it going to a decision.

Sealy: I would give AJ the win.

I’m not really a round prediction type of person but I do feel it will go past four maybe six rounds.

But I think the output and the ring IQ, and it may come down to conditioning and fitness but I just feel AJ might have more strings to his bow.

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