TYSON FURY’s crossover clash with Francis Ngannou has been branded a “freak show” fight.
The Gypsy King faces the former UFC heavyweight champion in a multi-million-pound Saudi showdown on October 28.
Fury’s first outing since a farcical trilogy fight with Derek Chisora last December pits him against an MMA fighter making his professional debut.
And former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew can’t get on board with the notion of the bout being a competitive one, telling Joe: “It’s a freak show, not a boxing match.”
Bellew, 40, also likened Cameroonian clubber Ngannou to a puffed-up bodybuilder out on the town.
The Bomber continued: “This guy is just a big, huge, strong unit.
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“But there is loads of them in Wetherspoons every Friday and Saturday night.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m going to watch it, I’m intrigued.
“Put this into context, this man is having his first ever professional boxing match of his life, and he is fighting the heavyweight champion of the world.”
Fury, 34, has been slammed by the boxing world for his money grab against Ngannou – but promoter Frank Warren has vehemently defended the showdown.
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During an appearance on talkSPORT, he said: “There isn’t anybody else, any other champion to fight.”
When it was put to him that Fury could have fought either Frank Sanchez or Arslanbeck Makhmudov, Warren replied: “What planet are you on?
“We’re in the business of selling events here.
“They walk down the street, would anyone know them?”
The Queensberry Promotions chief then said: “[Fury’s] absolutely the best of his generation, he’s the best out there.
“He’s the one that draws the money and that’s why this fight Is going on, why shouldn’t he do it?”
Team Fury are expected to resume negotiations over an undisputed heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk after his clash with Ngannou.
Pound-for-pound king Usyk will defend his unified titles against Fury’s stablemate Daniel Dubois in a Polish punch-up on August 26.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
