Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou betting tips
Joshua Points or Decision
Ngannou to Win & both Fighters to be Knocked Down
Zhang Points or Decision
Ball To Win the Fight in Round 1 – 4
It was the Colosseum in Rome, then it was Madison Square Garden, and now the biggest fights go to Saudi Arabia. On Friday, Turki Al-Sheikh and his team are putting two-time world champion Anthony Joshua against UFC-champ-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou, Zhilei Zhang faces fellow heavyweight contender Joseph Parker, and featherweight title holder Rey Vargas meets Britain’s Nick Ball. Are you not entertained?
Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou – Joshua Points or Decision
Friday March 8th – 11pm
TV: Sky Sports, DAZN
Boxing is a funny old game – a couple of years ago Joshua was finished, but after a couple of wins he was back on a lucrative collision course with Deontay Wilder until the loudmouth American lost. While Ngannou was supposed to be a one-fight gimmick, he showed he can box against Tyson Fury, and now he gets another shot at one of the biggest names in the sport. Paddy makes Josh the favourite but it wouldn’t be a massive upset if he lost – Ngannou is at a much shorter price than Andy Ruiz was when he first faced AJ.
The winner is in line to meet the winner of Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, and has the chance to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. The performance against Fury has changed everything for the man from the sand pits of Cameroon. Ngannou was confident and calculated from the first bell, targeting Fury’s fleshy midsection early on before clipping the Brit around the top of the head and dropping him in the third round.
Ultimately, the fight was close, and Fury got the nod, but big Francis deserves another crack at a top boxer. The thing that Ngannou has lost is the element of surprise – not that his patient style, hard straight shots and switching stance against Tyson was dissimilar to his style in the Octagon, but now Joshua knows he has a tough challenge and he has prepared accordingly. In the UFC Ngannou knocked out 10 of his 14 opponents, and Joshua has won by stoppage in 24 of his 30 professional bouts. The Saudi’s have branded this event “Knockout Chaos” and commissioned a cool 8-bit ‘beat ’em up’ style promo, but I think this contest is going the distance.
Ben Davison, AJ’s trainer, rarely gets his tactics wrong and he’s known for giving his boxers the confidence to execute a game plan. Since beating Wladimir Klitschko, AJ has often taken a box-and-move approach and I can see that being the way he goes this time. Ngannou wasn’t gung-ho against Fury because he doesn’t have the gas tank and he’s confident his power will tell in the end. He might be more aggressive against Joshua because of a perceived vulnerability, and because he didn’t get the decision in his first professional contest, but he isn’t going to become a volume puncher by Friday.
Joshua has looked most exposed against shorter fighters with fast hands that can loop shots over his straight punches. Ngannou counters well, but he doesn’t have the hand speed to land a combo when AJ is out of shape – I’m backing Joshua to score more significant strikes and take the win by decision.
That doesn’t mean I can’t see there being a knockdown for either man, and if both go down any result is on the table! Paddy has been hard at work putting prices on all sorts of outcomes in his #WhatOddsPaddy section, and if you really want to chase big odds on Friday look no further than Ngannou to Win & both Fighters to be Knocked Down
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Zhilei Zhang v Joseph Parker – Zhang Points or Decision
Friday March 8th – 10pm
TV: Sky Sports, DAZN
On any other night Zhang versus Parker would be a main event. These heavyweights are in that second tier of the glamour division waiting for title shots after impressive wins against Joe Joyce and Deontay Wilder respectively. Zhang is a decent favourite and his knockout power is seen as the difference. Zhilei has adopted the expression “Chat s*#!, get Zhanged”, in what must be the best use of the phrase since the Jamie Vardy days.
And, like Vardy, Zhang has backed it up with 21 KOs in 28 contests, however the big man from China hasn’t always looked as destructive as he did in his two stoppage wins against the static and easily hittable Joe Joyce. Parker’s performance against Wilder in December might be the best of his career, but it hasn’t given him much time to rest and recover. I think Parker has the skills and resilience to get to the later rounds when Zhang tends to slow down, but I am not sure Parker will have enough left to turn the tide. I’m picking Zhang to win on points.
Rey Vargas v Nick Ball – Ball To Win the Fight in Round 1 – 4
Friday March 8th – 8pm
TV: Sky Sports, DAZN
Vargas-Ball is another intriguing bout, and this one has the featherweight world title up for grabs. Age and activity are on the side of Ball, and he has the pressure style to cause Vargas big problems. The Mexican has been down in the second round in three separate fights, and I am taking the huge price on the Brit scoring a statement early win.
Joshua v Ngannou betting tips
Joshua Points or Decision
Ngannou to Win & both Fighters to be Knocked Down
Zhang Points or Decision
Ball To Win the Fight in Round 1 – 4
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Read More
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