Afotimber
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!! đ#WBC #Boxing pic.twitter.com/vURUwPVTVc
â Ayomide Oguntimehin (@ayo_oguntimehin) March 6, 2024
Notably, Joshua has shown admiration for Ronaldo in the past, often emulating the footballerâs iconic âsiuuâ celebration.
Watch the video here:Â
Boxer Anthony Joshua with the SIUUU celebration đ„đ pic.twitter.com/FzHZQP8XdM
â utdreport (@utdreport) March 24, 2022
When asked about a hypothetical boxing match between Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, Joshua humorously compared their styles, highlighting Messiâs âruggednessâ and Ronaldoâs âBruce Lee-likeâ precision.
âI think [Lionel] Messi is rugged, he is got that ruggedness. But [Cristiano] Ronaldo looks like heâs 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, Messyâ he said.
Initially slated to face Deontay Wilder on March 9, Joshuaâs focus has shifted to Ngannou, who recently rose in the WBCâs heavyweight rankings following his boxing debut.
The upcoming clash on March 8 follows Joshuaâs dominant victory over Otto Wallin in December, continuing Saudi Arabiaâs 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.
Ayomide Oguntimehin
Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and an Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories.
Grounded in video editing, video journalism, social media management, and content strategy, Ayomide brings a wealth of expertise to his work.
With a Bachelor’s degree in English Language from Adeyemi College of Education and a Master’s Degree in School Library and Media Technology from the University of Ibadan, Ayomide is well-prepared to excel in the field.