Ngannou in the 1930s heavyweight scene

Francis Ngannou is a very muscular and strong man.

In tests of strength I like Francis Ngannou over Max Baer or Max Schmeling.

I do not like Francis Ngannou's chances against Max Baer or Max Schmeling in boxing.

 

Someone who looked like Ngannou in the 1930s would probably make more money as a circus or hollywood attraction.

 

Without his experience fighting in the UFCs HW division Ngannou would be a totally different person and fighter. MMA has a few rounds and MMAs HW division is or was full of heavy guys trying to knock each other out in the first few minutes of a fight before they get tired. It is a very unique kind of boxing training that Ngannou in the 30s wouldn't have because there would be no reason to have it. Ngannous entire career was spent figuring out ways to knock out fat men in a few minutes. But a certain fat man didn't get that memo.

Ngannous build is unique but theres a reason for that. Even today Ngannou with normal boxing training wouldn't be 6'4 270 and todays an era where muscular builds are favored. In the 30s you had 6'2 guys like Braddock emaciated fighting well below the 175 limit at times. Ngannou could be someone like an Abe Simon but chances are he'd be much lighter.

 

He would not only be huge but also fast for his weight I think once he learns basic boxing he would destroy most fighters of the era just way too big and hits way too hard. Only really skilled boxers types would stand a chance and even then it would be dangerous. One wrong move and its lights out

 

You have never ever seen the inside of a Ring....................the MMA fighter is 0-2 @ Heavy andf was laid out cold looking like a Amateur vs a glass chinned stiff Bodybuilder.

Joe Louis irons him out even faster.

 

Keep believing that I'm sure it makes you feel better about your miserable life

 

Ngannou is an extremely unique proposition.

He ran Fury super close - and even arguably beat him - as well hurting him badly along the way, including the KD of course.

Then Francis fought AJ and got sparked in < 2 rounds.

Many saw that result as having burst Ngannou’s hype bubble - like a “I told you so”.

Still, duly accounting for the actual complexion of the Fury fight, it’s a crazy record of 0-2 against 2 of the deemed top 3 HWs. Some would argue that Francis should actually hold a record of 1-1.

Also, AJ KO’ing an otherwise experienced and reasonably skilled HW in similar fashion would not have been out of step or too surprising - let alone KO’ing an opponent having only their 2nd pro fight.

Fury was arguably not in the best shape but when you watch his fight against Ngannou, you see that Francis negated certain important features (but features not so purely based in boxing skill) to Fury’s game - chiefly his size, strength and reach - depts in which Fury usually enjoyed advantage and advantages which Fury often utilised to the max. Also add Francis’ raw, extreme power of punch into the special recipe.

So, for want of a better word, it could also be interpreted that Ngannou enjoyed certain “stylistic” advantages against Fury which have yet to be actually disproven - a rematch between the pair would be interesting, imo but it won’t happen.

Many understood the unique advantages held by Francis when he fought Fury, - so much so, that many correctly understood that a far more talented boxer (understatement) like Usyk would not enjoy those same, specific advantages against Fury.

 

He's not a boxer. Don't let the Fury fight fool you. He'd get KTFO almost every time.

He looked awkward, straight up, against Fury, who looked awkward stepping in and throwing weak power punches. AJ kept him at range from the start.

 

Nnganou might have success similar to Carnera at most.

Louis destroys him. Baer flattens him. Skilled boxer types stay away from him for the first 6-8 rounds and then outbox him silly.

He might be able to ko some guys but his technique is all wrong for boxing.

Now if he started as a boxer and not an MMA fighter, he could have more success.

But if he tranisitioned from MMA into boxing, sorry, i don't see him as some sort of a bogeyman. His technique is terrible for boxing. For one, he parries completely incorrectly, which is a result of him being an MMA fighter who parries like he is defending MMA takedowns.

 

I agree to an extent but how much can one prove themselves to be a boxer or not a boxer in just 2 pro fights, especially against 2 top rated HWs?

I don’t think people were necessarily fooled by the Fury fight - but that fight did isolate certain features to Fury’s game that were legitimately nullified - thereby highlighting just how important those features have been for Tyson previously and otherwise - features aside from actual skill.

Think, if nothing else, Ngannou at least had the the attribute of being duly conditioned and experienced for a 10 round boxing match.

Many focus on Fury’s conditioning or lack thereof but Francis was just as, if not more, exhausted - and it curtailed his output for at least half of the fight if not from opening bell.

Francis looked very nervous and already a bit depleted before opening bell. Also, due to inexperience, his warm up in the dressing room might’ve been a bit overdone.

At any rate, Francis had to be as strictly metered as he was - if he could’ve actually upped what was a relatively limited output, he may well have seen Fury off.

We don’t know 100% that AJ couldn’t have iced Fury in similar fashion - because, of course, Fury has managed not to have even crossed paths with AJ for years - so Ngannou actually has that over Tyson also in a way - in so far as him as having actually fought AJ -

 

He's got a 100% loss rate in boxing, I'd be surprised if that got any lower against the best of that era too.

 

They weren't as good as the 1910s ones but there were quite a few good superheavys in the 30s. It wasn't just Carnera. You had Victorio Campolo, Santa and Ray Impelletiere. Then Buddy Baer and Simon came along. While the 1910s superheavys were better this group was certainly bigger.

Gastanaga while not a SHW has the longest reach of any accomplished HW ever. ATG LHWs could handle that.

Theres this myth that fighters in this era would be lost fighting a big HW halfway decent. Its just not true. After WW2 there weren't many good superheavyweights in the decades that followed because contrary to popular belief smaller guys could handle them if they weren't legit. The most unbeatable thing about superheavyweights of the 21st century is not the fighters themselves its how many of them there are and how its impossible to consistanly beat them. And boxing in the 21st century is all about being undefeated for as long as possible. Boxing in the 1930s was not about being undefeated for as long as possible. Your career wasn't over if you lost 5 fights.