Fury & Ngannou Come Head-To-Head In London
Despite previous meetings, the duo’s first official face-to-face elucidated what we already knew – Tyson Fury towers over his upcoming opponent Francis Ngannou. Almost like it is man versus boy.
Okay, maybe that’s a touch too far, but you understand the sentiment.
The pair hit Thursday’s red carpet looking like the superstars they are, with their arrivals being met by a swarm of thirsty press. These were the two most sought-after men in London.
It copped a different feel to fight week events of the past, with any possible bad blood dried using the towel of Middle Eastern money. There was no need to pretend.
‘I’m honoured to be fighting Francis. I’ve got to take my hat off to him for his story, where he’s come from, the fight, the grind, the determination. He’s going to be a real challenge.’
- Tyson Fury
‘I have been dreaming of becoming a boxer since I was a kid. And now, I’m not just going to box; I’m going to box the guy at the peak of the mountain. History is going to be made.’
- Francis Ngannou
Decades of enmity or not, these two are being handsomely paid to be violent show ponies for the mega rich. In reality, it’s a gloriously wicked concept.
Fury is well within his right to enjoy the fruits of his labour. It may go against the etiquette of a world heavyweight champion, but etiquette doesn’t buy nice cars and holiday homes.
The only etiquette on Ngannou’s mind will be giving a hypothetical two fingers to his ex-employers over at the UFC, as October 28th validates his commercial value.
But away from the externals, there was a large focus on how things would play out once that first bell rings in just over seven weeks.
‘Bear in mind he’s got Mike Tyson’, uttered Fury and yes, I have borne such, it should matter not. The inclusion of Mike adds little more than another compelling storyline.
As Fury said, being named after an icon like Mike, before becoming heavyweight world champion, before then fighting in a fight in which he is helping train a man to defeat you…
It is quite the narrative.
But all stories have a curious and dangerous power. They are manifestations of the truth. And, in a world somewhere, Ngannou stands over a beaten Fury.
‘I’m coming for everything. From the moment you signed, you got war.’
It seems irrefutable, the possibility of the lineal heavyweight champion being toppled by what is a relative novice. Yet boxing is often teaching us to expect the unexpected.
So, as time passes between now and the opening of Riyadh season, just don’t get too excited about life after Ngannou, right?
Oscar Bevis
