Anthony Joshua has "fire in his belly" ahead of Francis Ngannou fight

14 January 2024 , 10:00

1150     0

Anthony Joshua has "fire in his belly" ahead of Francis Ngannou fight

Anthony Joshua has rediscovered his confidence after winning three consecutive fights last year.

This time last year Joshua was on a two-fight losing skid after losing his heavyweight world titles to Oleksandr Usyk and failing to win them back in their rematch. 'AJ' recorded wins against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin in 2023 as he looks to make it four wins on the trot against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in March.

Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, thinks a win against Ngannou could put 'AJ' in line for a shot at the undisputed heavyweight world titles. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are currently locked into a two-fight deal for the undisputed belts that will see them both tied up until the end of the year.

Are you excited for Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below

“He’s got older and smarter, if he is going in gung-ho against Ngannou and walks into a shot whilst trading then he will get knocked out. He’s rediscovered his confidence and the fire in his belly, the nastiness. What you saw against Wallin was the first time I saw him spiteful for years," Hearn said on The MMA Hour.

Eddie Hearn opens talks for Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou heavyweight fight

“He hit Wallin with a straight right hand to the body in the first round and it sounded like someone had broken a door down. It was just like ‘Snap! Oh my god’. He looked like a different fighter. It’s just funny with people's opinions, one minute they are out and criticism is out there all of the time."

Joshua 'switched off' after his win against Wallin as plans of his two-fight deal with Deontay Wilder went down the drain after the American suffered a shocking defeat to Joseph Parker. 'AJ' cut his Christmas holiday in Dubai short to fly home and start his fight camp for Ngannou.

"He was going to do that anyway for Wilder, but I think when Wilder lost he maybe just switched off a little bit so he needed to switch back on," Hearn added. "In Ngannou’s mind, this is the toughest fight of his career. Francis is a very dangerous man and they will be training with every ounce of their soul to be victorious."

Harry Davies