Tyson Fury has been warned that former boxing legend Mike Tyson has been making great progress with Francis Ngannou ahead of the former UFC champion’s boxing debut against the Gypsy King in Saudi Arabia next week. Undefeated WBC heavyweight champion Fury will not be contesting his belt on the night, as Ngannou is a complete rookie in the sport and is not ranked by the organisation.
And while the British champ is considered the overwhelming favourite to win the crossover boxing event, the presence of ‘Iron Mike’ in Ngannou’s corner is certainly having an impact on preparations.
Tyson, a former undisputed heavyweight world champion, has been working alongside Ngannou’s MMA coaches Eric Nicksick and Dewey Cooper to get the African fighter ready for the ring.
Fury’s promoter Bob Arum wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Mike Tyson is doing a great job training and advising Francis Ngannou. I’ve cautioned Tyson Fury to be very careful, particularly of Ngannou’s incredible right hand.”
Ngannou is said to have the ‘hardest punch in the world’, which is something Fury will need to be wary of. The Gypsy King’s involvement in the crossover Pay-Per-View event, however, is somewhat contentious given that he is a defending world champion.
His belt will eventually be put on the line when he faces Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed title clash that could be held as early as December 23. A deal is already signed for the titanic clash but the actual date is still to be finalised and could instead take place in early 2024.
American boxing legend Tyson recognises that Ngannou will be up against it when he faces Fury and believes that his man will need to knock out the Gypsy King to have any chance of victory.
Tyson told Mail Online: “I am helping Ngannou. I am learning what he is able to do. He’s able to do so much more than I anticipated. He has what it takes to knock out anything or anybody standing in his way.
“Once he lands a punch on Tyson Fury’s jaw he is going to knock him out too. Nobody can survive that.’ He’s making some money for his family.
“Fury’s not the all-time great but he’s one of the all-time greats. He’s really high up. He can do greatness right now. He’s always going to bring a good night of boxing, fight hard. You’ve got to try and hit him with a shot to knock him cold out because he always gets back up and fights hard.”
