British-Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua, recently crossed paths with Al Nassr forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ahead of his highly anticipated clash with former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, Soccernet.ng reports.
The meeting, hosted by Turki Alalshikh, an adviser to the Saudi Royal Court, saw Joshua posing for a photo alongside his ring rival Tyson Fury, Ronaldo, and Ngannou.
British boxer, Anthony Joshua, of Nigerian descent, links up with Cristiano Ronaldo, Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia, hosted by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh.
His fight with Ngannou is scheduled to hold on the 8th of March, 2024.
Shagamite!! 😊#WBC #Boxing pic.twitter.com/vURUwPVTVc
— Ayomide Oguntimehin (@ayo_oguntimehin) March 6, 2024
Notably, Joshua has shown admiration for Ronaldo in the past, often emulating the footballer’s iconic “siuu” celebration.
Watch the video here:
Boxer Anthony Joshua with the SIUUU celebration 🥊😂 pic.twitter.com/FzHZQP8XdM
— utdreport (@utdreport) March 24, 2022
When asked about a hypothetical boxing match between Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, Joshua humorously compared their styles, highlighting Messi’s “ruggedness” and Ronaldo’s “Bruce Lee-like” precision.
“I think [Lionel] Messi is rugged, he is got that ruggedness. But [Cristiano] Ronaldo looks like he’s got that Bruce Lee, that bang, i mean, stand there, ouch you in one hooh, and you are finished. Messi seems a bit more, as his name says, Messy” he said.
Initially slated to face Deontay Wilder on March 9, Joshua’s focus has shifted to Ngannou, who recently rose in the WBC’s heavyweight rankings following his boxing debut.
The upcoming clash on March 8 follows Joshua’s dominant victory over Otto Wallin in December, continuing Saudi Arabia’s trend of hosting major heavyweight contests.
NB: Who do you think will win the showdown between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou? Leave your comments below.
