ANTHONY JOSHUA is under massive pressure to “OUTDO” Tyson Fury and stop Francis Ngannou in their crossover clash.
The former two-time unified heavyweight champion will throw down with the MMA man mountain in a multi-million-pound Saudi showdown on Friday night.
Anthony Joshua faces Francis Ngannou in a crossover clash on Friday nightGETTY
Former UFC champ Ngannou embarrassed Tyson Fury in his boxing debut last OctoberGETTY
GETTYBoxing purists claimed Fury underestimated the Cameroonian clubber[/caption]
REUTERSNgannou’s head coach Dewey Cooper reckons AJ is now under huge pressure to ‘outdo’ The Gypsy King[/caption]
Former UFC king Ngannou, 37, shocked the world in his boxing debut last October, dropping Tyson Fury on his way to taking the Brit to a split decision verdict.
Ngannou’s humbling of Fury left a black eye not only on the Brit but on all those in the boxing world who claimed he only had a puncher’s chance of winning the fight.
And the Cameroonian clubber’s coach Dewey Cooper believes the weight of Fury’s shortcomings has fallen on the shoulders of AJ.
The legendary boxing and mixed martial arts trainer told SunsSport: “I see him not being tentative.
“Why? Because he has to get that monkey off his back.
“He has to outdo Tyson Fury. So he’s going to come out fighting.”
Joshua, 34, was his malicious old self in his December destruction of former training partner Otto Wallin.
Team Ngannou foresees more of the same in Friday’s Riyadh rumble, saying: “We expect him to come out strong and confident, the way he did against Otto Wallin in his last fight.
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“That’s what he expects and we’ll be ready for it.
“Power versus power, fire versus fire, thats what this fight will be.”
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Many boxing purists put Ngannou’s success against Fury down to the Gypsy King treating him as nothing more than an easy warm-up for his undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
But Cooper is refusing to buy what those critics are selling, insisting Fury was just incapable of getting the better of ‘The Predator’.
He said: “When you have 30 minutes, it’s not a surprise.
“When you have 30 minutes, it’s not overlooking someone.
“Fury had 30 minutes to impose his will and show that he was a level above Francis. He couldn’t do it in 30 minutes.
“So I don’t want to hear about underestimating – that’s garbage.
GETTYDewey Cooper insists Tyson Fury tried his best to stop Francis Ngannou but was unable to[/caption]
GettyTeam Ngannou expect Anthony Joshua to be as aggressive as he was against Otto Wallin[/caption]
“That’s just a narrative of people not wanting to be wrong with their opinions in the first place.
“Keep it real. All these guys that felt that way and that Francis had no chance were just wrong.
“Accept it and don’t try to discredit the greatness you saw that night or the ability you saw that night.
“Secondly, we’re glad that people have seen what Francis can do because it’s going to be further improved from that [when he faces Joshua].
“Every fight, he plans on improving and we plan on him improving.
“So I’ll wonder what they’ll say after this fight.”
REUTERSDewey Cooper expects Francis Ngannou to shock once again against AJ[/caption]