Anthony Joshua warned Francis Ngannou that he would be unwise to underestimate the power that he possesses.
The two-time heavyweight world champion locks horns with the former UFC heavyweight world champion in the boxing ring on Friday March 8, with the verbal sparring beginning this week.
Ngannou warned Joshua that he’s capable of putting him in hospital in a chilling warning ahead of the fight dubbed ‘Knockout Chaos’.
And while ‘AJ’ is fully aware of Ngannou’s threat he still believes he’ll have too much for him.
The 34-year-old harked back to his impressive stoppage victory of Otto Wallin last month, his triumph over Robert Helenius earlier in 2023 as well as his brutal KO of Dillian Whyte in December 2015.
Joshua told Boxing News: “He has longer arms than me. He’s stocky and big.
“But I think people underestimate me, they think they can just come and put pressure on me because I am not mentally all that or this.
“And as much as there is hype around Ngannou, he still has to come through me. He is looking at someone who knows how to fight.
“I am a power puncher myself. I break peoples’ eye sockets.
“I broke Wallin’s nose and eye socket, Helenius got sparked out, and I f****** ruined Dillian Whyte’s career with an uppercut. The list goes on.
“He has to deal with me and that is what is going to make it a good fight.”
Ngannou has every right to feel confident having gone toe-to-toe with undefeated WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October, losing narrowly on what was his professional boxing debut.
And Joshua admitted that one-upping his fellow Brit by beating Ngannou more convincingly would be satisfying.
He said: “There is an element of that. It’s all about perception in boxing.
“It just changes the whole perception if I can go out there and have a good fight. ‘Oh, AJ’s the king!’ my fans will roar louder.
“But I’ve still got a massive training camp to complete, I’ve still got to get through the fight first!
“Let’s get there first before we start thinking ahead.”
