Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou: Celebrity Predictions & Betting Odds

FightsATW gathers some popular celebrities to give their prediction on Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will be hosting a huge event appropriately titled “Knockout Chaos,” which is headlined by former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) going up against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (0-1).

This is an intriguing matchup which oddsmakers have made Joshua the betting favorite. Another interesting note is that they are leaning towards this one ending in a knockout rather than a decision. With all of the takes from media and fans pouring in, FightsATW has reached out to some celebrities for their takes, including a boxing Hall of Famer, Hollywood actors & directors, music industry artists & executives, and more.

ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. FRANCIS NGANNOU BETTING ODDS

Per DraftKings SportsBook, Anthony Joshua is the favorite at -450, and Francis Ngannou is the underdog at +320.

Anthony Joshua: TKO/KO -190; Decision +400

Draw: +1800

Francis Ngannou: TKO/KO +380; Decision +1800

ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. FRANCIS NGANNOU PREDICTIONS

George Foreman, Boxing Hall of Famer: Anthony Joshua

In the back of my mind, I think the fight against Tyson Fury was Ngannou’s one shot. You get a guy who wasn’t a full contender but looked the part and pulled himself out of that fight with Fury. So he will get passed around now. Everyone will want to fight him. I would want to fight him too. He’s going to make a lot of money as an opponent.

Don’t get me wrong, Anthony Joshua is a frail subject trying to get his stuff together, but he shouldn’t have any problems against Francis Ngannou. Joshua can outbox him, and if he rocks him, he can knock him out in six rounds. Other than that, Joshua should outpoint him. (Big George Foreman is streaming now on Netflix.) 

Holt McCallany, Hollywood Actor (Iron Claw, Mindhunter, Lights Out): Francis Ngannou

Anthony Joshua is a -450 betting favorite, with Francis Ngannou at +320. I think the spread is too wide. Yes, Anthony Joshua is the better boxer by far and should win, but Francis Nganouu carries tremendous punching power that can end the fight at any moment. I’ll take Ngannou at +320.

Rsonist, Multi-Platinum Producer (Heatmakerz): Anthony Joshua

I have Anthony Joshua by late stoppage. Francis Ngannou is not surprising anyone anymore. Tyson Fury kind of underestimated him, but I feel like Anthony Joshua will be more prepared for this fight. He just fought in December, so the ring rust is all the way off on Joshua, and he’s more in tune.

Kevin Interdonato, Actor/Director (Malicious, The Bastard Sons): Francis Ngannou

You saw what Francis Ngannou did to Fury, so I think he will go for it and knock out Anthony Joshua—Ngannou by seventh-round knockout.

Ian Schwartzman, Artist Manager/Executive Producer (The Joe Budden Podcast, Dj Premier & The Roll Call Newsletter): Francis Ngannou

I love a good underdog, so I will be rooting for Francis Ngannou to win. The stakes are high for Anthony Joshua, but they are higher for Ngannou since he has something to prove in the professional boxing world by showing he can be taken seriously.

Malik Whitfield, Hollywood Actor/Director (The Bastard Sons, Still Here): Francis Ngannou

Joshua possesses all of the skills and has the look of a champion. It’s really about endurance/stamina. We all knew Zab Judah was hanging out in the club and not preparing for Floyd Mayweather when Mayweather was indeed preparing for Judah. Out of these two heavyweights, it comes down to who put the work in, and I’m going to say that Francis Ngannou will win by late stoppage.

Dj Scream (Big Facts Podcast on Revolt TV): Anthony Joshua 

I know more about Anthony Joshua than Francis Ngannou, as the latter has had only one pro boxing fight, and that was against Tyson Fury. Boxing is a sport where one punch can change it all, so you can’t rule anyone out. Regardless, I’m going with Joshua by knockout around the sixth or seventh round.

El Debarz, Hip-Hop Artist (The single “I Choose Violence” is out now): Francis Ngannou

As boxers move into the MMA space and vice versa, there haven’t been many successful campaigns. The two who I feel will be successful are Clarissa Shields and Francis Ngannou. Joshua has the look of a champion, but I question if he has the heart of one. I think Ngannou will win by knockout in the later rounds.

Prediction Panel Results: 5-3 for Ngannou

My Three Cents

I will tighten up the panel’s results as I’m giving Joshua a little more credit than what people may be willing to give him. I think he will earn a decision victory on Friday night. If you are going to watch the fight, order it on PPV.com and join legendary broadcaster Jim Lampley on the live chat.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is the founder of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms to include online, network TV and promotional companies. He is an American Public University alumnus and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, contributed to FanSidedMMA and ProBoxTV.

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