AJ warned that 'there is a good chance he will be knocked out' by Ngannou
ANTHONY JOSHUA has been warned there is “every chance” he could be knocked out by Francis Ngannou.
Joshua returns in Saudi Arabia on March 8 against ex-UFC champion Ngannou, who will make only his second appearance in the boxing ring.
His debut came against Tyson Fury in October, the night he stunningly dropped the WBC champion but lost a controversial decision.
The performance was enough to catch the attention of Joshua, who saw his superfight with Deontay Wilder canceled after the American was defeated.
British boxing legend Ricky Hatton is backing AJ as a heavy favorite but refused to rule out Ngannou such is the power he possesses.
Hatton said OLBG: “AJ is a very good boxer and is known for his explosiveness and his strength.
“But you don't become an Olympic gold medalist and two-time world heavyweight champion without the ability that Joshua has.
“But on the other hand he can get hurt, knocked down and stopped and when you think of the size and punching power that Ngannou has there is every chance he can knock out AJ but the bigger picture is that Joshua is a very well-rounded, experienced boxer.
“He is very skilful and heavy-handed and this is the right time for him as his confidence has been through the roof since the last few appearances.
“If he goes out there and makes an impact there where Tyson didn't, it will work more in his favor when they sit down at the negotiating table and try to get the Tyson Fury to fight.”
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Joshua, 34, returned in December with a win over Otto Wallin, 32, in Saudi Arabia.
And that same evening, Wilder, 38, was stunned by Joseph Parker, 32, as he watched his blockbuster with AJ go up in smoke.
So with Fury, 35, and Oleksandr Usyk, 37, signed for an uncontested fight, Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn were forced to look elsewhere.
And fighting Ngannou, 37, straight after Fury gives AJ the chance to edge old rival Fury with a more clinical performance.
Hatton said: “It's a sensible fight for Anthony Joshua because of how well Francis Ngannou did against Tyson Fury.
“There's actually a big question mark: was Francis Ngannou better than we thought he was, or did Tyson take him too lightly?
Anyway, AJ was in good form against Otto Wallin and showed good boxing skills, and his confidence certainly won't increase.
“The fact that Tyson struggled, if AJ goes in and puts in an impressive performance, that's a huge benefit to them.
“I still think Tyson is the best heavyweight around, he took Ngannou lightly, but I can see where Eddie Hearn goes with AJ to make the match because Tyson couldn't wrestle anymore.
“If Joshua goes out and impresses, it can only work to his advantage.”
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