
via Imago
Image Courtesy – Imago

via Imago
Image Courtesy – Imago
After spending almost a year out of the ring, WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury undertook a fight that might have dented his credibility in boxing. For a fight that he had already received heavy criticism for accepting, his performance at the Boulevard Hall of Riyadh adds another reason for his critics to throw shade at the boxer. Despite registering a split decision victory against former UFC superstar and debutant boxer, Francis Ngannou, Fury’s performance was shocking, according to a vast majority of boxing fans and pundits alike.
For an abled fighter like Fury who is considered among the best, his controversial victory does not work in his favor. Most of his famed jabs appeared ineffective as the Cameroonian fighter remained unfazed. So much so that Ngannou even managed to knock Fury down in the third round via a left hook. In light of the criticism that came his way, one person who has been relentlessly defending Fury is his promoter, Frank Warren.
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Frank Warren claps back at fans who called Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou a mere ‘Exhibition’
The Fury-Ngannou fight in Saudi was sanctioned by the BBBofC. However, ‘Gypsy King’s’ WBC title was not on the line. After last night’s head-to-head fight, Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren argued that the fight didn’t look like an ‘exhibition’ as most boxing fans predicted that it would be. He said, “Ngannou’s come out with a lot of credibility. All those smart-arses who said, ‘Oh, this is a gimmick, an exhibition,’ did that look like an exhibition? I thought Tyson won it, I thought he won by three rounds at least.”
Frank Warren on Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou: “Ngannou's come out with a lot of credibility. All those smart-arses who said, 'Oh, this is a gimmick, an exhibition,' did that look like an exhibition? I thought Tyson won it, I thought he won by three rounds at least.” [@BBCSport]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) October 29, 2023
At the end of fight night, Fury’s reputation as a world-champion boxer took a massive hit. Ngannou on the other hand gave a stellar performance, further strengthening the claim that he could fight for world titles in boxing.
‘The Predator’ Seeks Accountability
The split decision in Fury’s favor has heavily been called out by the boxing community. It became quite clear that the majority of fans were siding with Ngannou after his opponent failed to inflict any significant damage on him. Ngannou himself questioned how the judges scored the fight on X.
This boxing world wild but some judges should be responsible for their actions.
This type of stuff is what fucks up people's career. 🙄 #FuryvsNgannou
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) October 29, 2023
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Last night was a stellar entry for ‘The Predator’ Ngannou in the boxing realm. After having assumed the position of an underdog against a fighter like Fury who everyone believed would claim the victory easily, Ngannou proved every such prediction wrong.
The dust has anything but settled on last night’s fight. It has opened up an entire array of conversations about the future of these fighters. It further nudges the community to reconsider Fury’s dominance in the heavyweight division. With the WBC title still in his grasp, he would be defending it against Oleksandr Usyk next.
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However, after his performance against Ngannou, will he be able to stand his ground against the Ukranian Unified Heavyweight Champion? What do you think of Tyson Fury’s performance last night? Let us know in the comments section below.
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