Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou provides another boxing heavyweight superfight in what is shaping up to be a golden era for the sport’s marquee weight class.
That incredible ‘Day of Reckoning’ card is still fresh in the memory, with a string of top heavies in action – headed by the aforementioned Joshua and Deontay Wilder.
DAZN: Sign up to watch Joshua vs Ngannou live!
Joshua and Wilder of course had already signed a two-fight deal ahead of that bill, with their first meeting scheduled for March 9. All they needed to do was avoid defeat in their respective bouts on December 23.
AJ kept up his end of the bargain by demolishing Otto Wallin in five rounds, but Wilder suffered a stunningly one-sided loss to Joseph Parker. Joshua vs Wilder was dead (for now) and AJ would need to look for a fresh opponent.
The shortlist came down to three names – unbeaten Croat and top IBF contender Filip Hrgovic, giant Chinese star Zhilei Zhang and former UFC heavyweight champ Ngannou. In the end Ngannou got the nod for a March 8 showdown – in theory it’s the easiest fight for Joshua, and the one with the biggest financial upside.
So what do the latest odds tell us about Ngannou’s chances of a massive upset?
What are the odds for Joshua vs Ngannou?
Right now Joshua (27-3), of course is a firm favourite, but it’s not a complete one-horse race, and the odds are getting tighter by the day…
Ngannou is significantly shorter odds than he had been for his first attempt at pro boxing – that narrow points defeat by WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
‘The Predator opened up around the 7/2 or 4/1 mark with most layers when the fight was announced – he’s now 3/1 or even shorter in a number of places.
This is how the major UK bookmakers have it:
Bet365: 1/4 Joshua, 3/1 Ngannou
Sky Bet: 1/4 Joshua, 11/4 Ngannou, 25/1 Draw
Paddy Power: 1/5 Joshua, 10/3 Ngannou, 33/1 Draw
William Hill: 2/7 Joshua, 11/4 Ngannou, 18/1 Draw
Betfair: 1/5 Joshua, 10/3 Ngannou, 33/1 Draw
These odds may look pretty one-sided to the untrained eye, but in boxing terms with only two real potential results, they are not at all.
For added context, Ngannou was a 7/1 shot to beat Fury, with ‘The Gypsy King’ a massive 1/14 favourite. So Francis is half the odds he was to beat Fury – not surprising given his terrific performance on pro boxing debut.
When is Joshua vs Ngannou?
The big fight goes down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday March 8, 2024. Ring walks are expected to be around 2300 UK time, which is midnight CET. If you are in the United States, the bout will start around 1800 Eastern Standard Time or 1500 PST on the West Coast.
How can I watch the fight live?
Fight fans in the UK have a choice of options here, with DAZN PPV and Sky Sports Box Office being awarded rights to air the bout.
MASSIVE heavyweight fight could spice up Joshua vs Ngannou card
DAZN PPV will also have global rights to show the bout outside the UK, including the key United States market.
