Claressa Shields believes the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou Saudi showdown will be surprisingly close
The heavyweight spectacle is scheduled for March 8 in Riyadh Saudi Arabia.
It will mark Ngannou’s second time stepping foot in the ring, having shocked the world after a 12-round thriller against Tyson Fury last October.
This time however, the UFC legend is no longer an unknown quantity, his opponent, the former unified heavyweight champion, will surely step between the ropes with a greater understanding of the Cameroonian’s strengths and weaknesses than his British rival had in October.
Despite Joshua being the heavy betting favourite, the self-proclaimed ‘GWOAT’, Claressa Shields, feels it will be no easy task for the Briton, predicting an equally close fight to the one we saw only a few months prior.
“I think it’s going to be a good fight. At first I kind of felt that AJ was going to knock out Ngannou, that’s how I saw the fight. Now it’s kind of shifted on, I feel like it’ll be a split decision going either guy’s way,” Claressa Shields relayed to Sky Sports.
“I say that because it feels like AJ has a lot to prove and I feel like when he’s got a lot to prove sometimes he puts too much pressure on himself and he doesn’t fight his fight. And if he doesn’t fight his fight against Francis, Francis is a big, strong and powerful guy too so it can be a closer fight.
“I believe that AJ has everything in the tank to beat Francis. He just has to do it.”
Shields has recently been showcasing her skills in the Octagon and is scheduled to fight again this Saturday in the PFL. However, the American revealed plans for a return to the ring later this year.
“I’m still getting better as a fighter because I never settle on my last performance. I make all my performances better and that’s why none of these girls can keep up. You’re not getting the Claressa Shields you’ve seen fight against Savannah Marshall.
“When I come back to boxing, people think I looked good against Savannah Marshall and against Maricela Cornejo, oh just wait till I come back, I’m going to be better than that. I’ve gotten better after every fight.
“I have skill, I have power. I’m just the greatest of all time.”