Midnight Mania! Teddy Atlas talks about 'exposed' Francis Ngannou: 'Not ready for prime time'

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

It's hard to know Francis Ngannou's boxing ability.

On the other hand, he knocked down Tyson Fury and almost won a split decision. Anthony Joshua, on the other hand, had a flawless victory over 'The Predator', knocking him down three times in just two routes for a brutal knockout victory (see highlights). It's hard to know how much of Ngannou's success against Fury was due to the champion's lack of preparation, or maybe Joshua simply went in with the right game plan and executed it perfectly.

In reality, it all comes down to the relatively short amount of time Ngannou has been in the ring, having never fought in the amateur ranks before his debut bout with Tyson Fury. Perhaps that's why analyst Teddy Atlas is now labeling Ngannou an “amateur” boxer after his knockout loss. Unlike Fury, Joshua was able to prove Ngannou's inexperience and take advantage of it very quickly.

“He exposed amateurs because he did it in real life,” Atlas said on his YouTube channel (via MMA Junkie). “I knew about the great performance against Fury, I explained that it was great, but that was different. Now he had to react. I even think Ngannou's confidence hurt him because… , because he thought he could be more aggressive, and he was ready to be more aggressive. He was right in front of me. He wasn't that kind of guy yet, so this time he I thought I hurt you.

“He was still an amateur, but we forgot that because of his great performance against Fury. … (Joshua) reminded us that he was an amateur, he is not ready to compete in prime time because he did what top players are supposed to do. You exposed him. You revealed what he doesn't have yet.”

Why is there such a difference in results and performance? Atlas gives Ngannou's successful boxing debut an element of surprise, and stylistically better aligns him with the “Gypsy King.”

“Stiles gets into fights,” Atlas explained. “Fury's style was completely different from Joshua's. That's number one. It affects the fight.” Part 2. Something was missing that was there in the beginning, and that helped Ngannou when he fought Fury. That something is the element of surprise. It's not a small thing, it's a big thing. Fury was physically ready, he was, no excuses. Ngannou did a great job, but Fury wasn't ready.

“No way. It's almost inhuman to be able to take him so seriously and prepare every fiber of his body and mind for what's about to happen. It was his first professional fight, but… You are the world champion.”

After the loss, Ngannou will make his Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut and may return to the mixed martial arts cage. However, he is adamant that his boxing career is not over yet, and perhaps that third fight will prove whether Ngannou really has anything left to offer in boxing.

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