WBC respond to criticism over Francis Ngannou’s top 10 ranking
Whilst some fans are crediting Anthony Joshua with a stellar performance against Francis Ngannou, others believe that ‘AJ’ simply exposed the Cameroonian’s ability, or lack of, despite his strong performance against WBC king Tyson Fury a few months prior, in October 2023.
The World Boxing Council have now spoken out, after their questionable ruling to rank Ngannou in the WBC top 10 heavyweights ratings was simultaneously questioned alongside the skills of the former UFC champion.
Ngannou famously knocked Fury down in the third-round of their fight in October, before losing a razor-close split-decision, earning a shock top 10 ranking in the WBC regardless of his 0-1 professional record.
Last weekend, Ngannou was given a harsher welcome into the world of boxing by the Londoner, as Joshua knocked him unconscious with his third knockdown inside just two rounds, putting the exclamation point on a performance that many felt pulled back the curtain of how poor Fury’s display was, and how the WBC’s ranking was inaccurate.
Yet, in an interview with Sky Sports, Mauricio Sulaiman (WBC president) defended the decision, claiming that Ngannou’s history in MMA has to be recognised when ranking him.
“100 per cent [we stand by the decision to rank him in the top 10], just by facts. Everybody criticised the WBC, myself, the ratings committee,”
“They jumped the gun and a month later the fight is announced against Joshua and nobody said anything. It is about tendency, we don’t go or rule or make decisions by popularity. It is not a popularity contest.
“We go by facts, by rules and the ranking of Ngannou was perfectly supported by the WBC rules which is clear in the criteria from rankings that we consider the activity of the fighter in other contact sports.
“We have ranked so many muay thai fighters that convert to international boxing.”
Sulaiman went on to compare Ngannou’s heartbreak to Joe Frazier’s second-round stoppage loss to George Foreman, insinuating that the one-sided defeat to Joshua does not define his talent and possible career in the squared circle.