You win some; you lose some. But Anthony Joshua can’t afford to live by this. Pressed hard by Deontay Wilder‘s unexpected loss, he endeavored to set himself a challenge in Francis Ngannou. While it’s an easy fight on paper, the stakes are high. More so for the British boxer who might throw away his boxing career. Was it money that pulled him? Or an allure of something else?

We are mere weeks away from another electric encounter and MMA vs. boxing showdown on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While ‘AJ’ is toiling hard in the gym, the pressure is immense on ‘The Predator’, who looks to justify his place in the boxing world. This is neither a gimmick fight nor a relaxed adventure, but a bout with dire consequences, facilitated by truckloads of money. Eddie Hearn and the team would hope their cash cow won’t have to suffer the same fate that Tyson Fury did.

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: reputation, not win

Despite being a 0-1 novice, Francis Ngannou has the boxing community buzzing because of his debut performance against ‘The Gypsy King’. The Cameroonian-French fighter shocked the boxing world when he dropped the WBC champion. The stunned expressions of Fury have since etched in fans’ memories.

If the former UFC champion replicates the same, Joshua might be in trouble. After all, the latter is not Fury. Fury is resilient, and you have seen him back on his feet from knockdowns you won’t believe. Compared to the punishment Fury received last October, fans and pundits have doubts about Joshua’s chin.

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Andy Ruiz Jr. knocked out the 34-year-old boxer in 2019. Wladimir Klitschko almost did it in 2017 when he dropped Joshua in the sixth. The cracks in Joshua’s defense, especially his chin, have been visible for a long time. If Ngannou has cracked open Fury, what chance does Joshua stand if Ngannou connects?

What if Ngannou catches Joshua lacking and lands similar punches? It will be lights out for the Watford native. Undoubtedly, the fight against the Saudi backdrop will be an exciting encounter. Surely, Joshua is the favorite to win it. He has boxing skills and has been in the game longer to pull off a win. In addition, he is a two-time world champion, going against a 0-1 novice. But if the 27-3 doesn’t take care and is not focused, he might experience what Fury experienced.

The difference would be that Joshua would be adding a loss to his record. His reputation? Left in tatters. His dream to be a three-time world champion? Shattered. But what is up for grabs if Joshua brushes past the heavy hitter challenger? A shot at the undisputed crown.

The race to reach the winner of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk

The winner of Joshua vs. Ngannou would slot himself as next in line for the winner of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk. You can argue Joshua has an easy way to the shot, as he doesn’t have to navigate through the likes of Zhilei Zhang or Deontay Wilder. When you factor in the hefty paycheck the Brit would pocket, it’s a sweet deal for him.

However, Joshua shouldn’t forget that Ngannou’s skills have improved as a boxer, and Mike Tyson is the one who molded him into a boxer. The 37-year-old MMA fighter has a trump card in his staggering power and is two-fights away from becoming the boxing champion. He is highly motivated and is also gaining popularity outside of MMA. But the question remains. Can Ngannou punch consistently for 10 rounds when he only threw almost 5 punches per round against Fury?

The burden is on Joshua to win at all costs. While his opponent has a puncher’s chance, the rift in boxing skills between the two can’t be bridged. Therefore, he has the ideal situation. Beat a newcomer, avoid his power punches, and land himself a shot at the gold. That’s expected of a two-time heavyweight champion, riding on the momentum of a 3-win streak.

If Joshua loses to Ngannou, he is out of the title picture for good and for years. Lastly, he might well find himself in a position to take a rematch with Ngannou. Effectively, that would be curtains on Joshua’s career.

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What do you make of this upcoming fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou? Do you believe a huge upset awaits Joshua? Let us know in the comments below.