Boxing

PUNCH stats from Tyson Fury’s highly controversial win over Francis Ngannou appear to show that The Gypsy King deserved his dubious victory.Fury’s dismal split-decision win over former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou, 37, was labelled a “fix” by some fans as they believed the ex-MMA star did enough to have his hand raised.
Tyson Fury controversially beat Francis Ngannou by split decisionCredit: Reuters
Fury was knocked down by Ngannou in the third roundCredit: Getty
But the Gypsy King saw the judges’ decision go his wayCredit: AFP
Ngannou stunned the crowd in Saudi Arabia by dropping Fury in the third round.
And he enjoyed success throughout the contest in what was a complete shock to most fight fans.
However, the punch stats to do not support the widely-held opinion that Ngannou was robbed.
In fact, they paint a picture which suggests Fury’s victory was deserved.
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According to Compubox, the WBC champion landed more punches in six of the 10 rounds, with Ngannou claiming three rounds and one being drawn.
In terms of percentage of punches landing, Fury also beat Ngannou in seven of the rounds.
And the total number of punches landed were 71-59 in Fury’s favour, with the overall percentage of punches landed also showing that the undefeated boxer had the edge – 31.8 per cent to 25.5 per cent.
Power punches were the only stat in Ngannou’s favour – 37 to 32 over the 10 rounds.
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Yet despite the stats appearing to show that Fury rightfully had his hand raised, fans remain unconvinced.
And they were quick to claim that the numbers do not tell the whole story.
One said: “Doesn’t matter if they landed, Francis landed the much hard and more significant damaging shots. Look at both their faces.”
Another added: “Significant punches tell the story of this fight. Fury looked in more trouble on several occasions than Ngannou ever did.”
A third replied: “Fury only had 2 rounds where he landed more power punches, 90% of the shots Fury landed was pitter patter jabs that had nothing on them!”
The stats from the fight show Fury landed more punches overall and in the majority of the rounds
While a fourth responded: “Doesn’t tell the story of the fight. 12 more punches over the course of a 10 round fight Vs a UFC fighter who dropped him and had the more meaningful work whilst Fury did his best KSI impression.”
Despite the controversial nature of the decision, Ngannou was gracious in defeat.
He said: “We can run it back again and I’m sure I’m gonna get better.
“This was my first boxing match, [it was] a great experience.
“I’m not giving any excuses, I know I came up short. But I’m gonna go back and work harder.
“And with a little bit more experience and a little more feeling for the game and come back even stronger.”
Meanwhile, Fury added: “That definitely wasn’t in the script. Francis is a hell of a fighter.
“He’s strong, he’s a big puncher and a lot better boxer than we thought he’d ever be.
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“He’s a very awkward man and he’s a very good puncher.
“And I respect him a lot, before the fight and after the fight.” More

TYSON FURY suffered a wardrobe malfunction with his shorts during his controversial fight with Francis Ngannou.The Gyspy King laboured to a win over the MMA star in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Tyson Fury struggled to keep his shorts up for the whole fight vs Francis NgannouCredit: Reuters
Fury’s shorts kept appearing to slip downCredit: Getty
Fury wore bespoke Suzi Wong shortsCredit: Twitter @@Suz1Wong
Fury, 35, struggled to dominate the Cameroonian fighter, however it looked like he had an even bigger issue with his shorts.
It appeared that Fury’s shorts were too big for him during the fight.
That’s despite the Gypsy King proudly showing off about his “love handles” in the build-up.
Fury had Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway in stitches when discussing his figure earlier this week.
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Fury said: “I embrace the love handles. The love handles make me unique, it makes me a unique fighter to have my love handles.
“I represent all the fat people around the world, all the dad bods, all the chubsters, I fight for those people.”
And viewers of Saturday night’s Saudi superfight almost saw a lot more of Tyson’s body than they’d bargained for.
The Morcombe boxer could be seen fiddling and trying to adjust his shorts.
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Fury’s shorts ended up on the canvas when he was droppedCredit: Getty
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Fury kept on pulling them up as they appeared to start falling down.
SunSport boxing reporter Wally Downes Jr said: “Fury’s shorts were too big for him.
“Somehow they couldn’t fit over his 9st 11 love handles, and it was a disastrous performance.”
And fans reacted to the issue on social media.
One posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Someone get Tyson Fury some shorter shorts. He keeps fiddling.”
A second commented: “Whoever designed Fury’s shorts! Wrap it up.”
A third asked: “Why does Fury never have shorts that fit?”
A fourth wrote: “Wait for the Fury to blame his shorts for being the wrong size.”
A fifth said: “Let’s be honest, Fury struggled more with his shorts than with Ngannou.”
Another added: “Fury needs to sue his tailor. His shorts don’t fit, and that’s the difference in this fight.”
Fury won the fight on the night by split decision despite being knockdown by Ngannou.
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Fans were left in disbelief at how good the converted MMA star was as he managed to go toe to toe with the Gypsy King.
At one point viewers were questioning which one was the MMA fighter as Fury threw an illegal move. More

FRANCIS NGANNOU left fans astonished after attempting a “superman punch” in the final round of his controversial loss to Tyson Fury.Ngannou, 37, shocked the world by flooring WBC champion Fury, 35, in the third round of his professional boxing debut.
Francis Ngannou tried a superman punch in the final round against Tyson FuryCredit: X

Ngannou dropped Fury in the third round by lost a controversial split decisionCredit: Getty
Fury recovered to beat the count, before the fight went the full 10 rounds and The Gypsy King claimed a highly controversial split-decision win.
But in the final minute of the fight, Ngannou tried something that caught everyone’s attention.
The former UFC heavyweight champion leapt up and tried to connect with what is widely described as a “superman punch” – a move usually seen in MMA.
It involves flinging both feet off the canvas and attempting a huge shot to the head.
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Ngannou tried to set it up with the jab, but Fury was able to easily evade the flying punch.
Yet despite it failing to connect, fans loved the Cameroonian for trying it.
One said: “Ngannou trying that Superman punch was wild 😭.”
Another added: “The fact he threw a fucking Superman punch wins him the round purely based on being a bada**.”
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A third replied: “Bro you released ‘The superman punch’, it’s crazy!!!”
While a fourth responded: “Francis Ngannou, THAT superman punch was AWESOME.”
Many believe Ngannou did enough to get the win in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
But the ex-UFC man did not bemoan the controversial decision as he magnanimously claimed he had “come up short”.
Ngannou said: “We can run it back again and I’m sure I’m gonna get better.
“This was my first boxing match, [it was] a great experience.
“I’m not giving any excuses, I know I came up short. But I’m gonna go back and work harder.
“And with a little bit more experience and a little more feeling for the game and come back even stronger.” More

TYSON FURY’S post-fight press conference was CANCELLED following his highly controversial win over Francis Ngannou.The Gypsy King, 35, was expected to comfortably deal with the former UFC heavyweight champion, 37, who was making his professional boxing debut.
Francis Ngannou knocked Tyson Fury down in the third round of their fightCredit: Getty
Fury controversially won by split decision but his post-fight presser was called offCredit: Getty
But a stunned crowd in Saudi Arabia watched Ngannou floor Fury in the third round with a cuffing left hook to the top of the head.
WBC champion Fury, whose belt was not on the line, beat the count and saw out the 10 rounds, before the judges awarded him a split-decision win.
However, the result has been much-disputed, with many believing Ngannou did enough to pull off the astonishing upset.
And such was the underwhelming nature of Fury’s performance, his post-fight presser was called off.
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Had it gone ahead, it was reportedly set to be a lavish event as Fury prepared to take on Oleksandr Usyk on December 23.
But there are now doubts as to whether the undisputed clash will go ahead as planned.
Usyk was ringside for Fury-Ngannou and was left stunned when the WBC king was dropped in the third round.
When asked after the fight about the date for the Usyk clash, Fury said: “Listen, I’m gonna go home, I’ve been in training camp now for 12 weeks. I’ve got a long tough old camp in.
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“I’m gonna go home, take a long hard rest and then we’ll see what’s next for us.”
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said: “He’s gonna rest up, that’s what’s gonna happen next and then he’s gonna make a decision of what he wants to do because he’s the boss.”
Usyk was later jettisoned into the ring and went face to face with Fury.
Fury was more buoyant by the time the two squared up and said: “Listen, it’s been going on a long time. We were supposed to fight in April at Wembley. It never happened. Let’s do the fight over here [Saudi Arabia].
“His excellency Turki Al-Sheikh is going to put the fight on for all the belts, the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. Let’s go my brother, let’s go.”
Usyk put it more simply, adding: “Let’s go.”
Presenter Josh Denzel then put it simply and said: “Will the fight be on December 23? It’s been touted across the boxing world. Will we see it on that date?”
Fury replied: “Listen it’s not up to me, I’m a fighter and he’s a fighter. I’m sure we could go now. Let’s go now if you want!”
Denzel then turned to Usyk and said: “Can we agree 23rd of December?”
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A slightly confused Usyk replied: “Oui.”
Warren then went on to cast doubt on the December 23 date once more by admitting they could not commit until a cut on the top of Fury’s head had been assessed. More

TYSON FURY has refused to confirm whether his slated fight with Oleksandr Usyk will go ahead in December.It had been thought that the two have agreed to fight on December 23 in Saudi Arabia.
Tysom Fury struggled to beat Ngannou in a fight many felt he lostCredit: Getty
Usyk said he is ready for the challengeCredit: Getty
But Fury’s shambolic performance against MMA star Francis Ngannou has thrown that date into doubt.
Ngannou knocked Fury down in the third round and inflicted heavy bruising and a cut to the face of the champion over the ten rounds.
Fury struggled to land any meaningful punches as he looked to keep the MMA heavyweight at range.
Throughout the fight, Ngannou looked to be the more dominant and many were left shocked by the result that had Fury winning by a 2-1 split decision.
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After the bout, Fury refused to commit to a date.
Presenter Josh Denzel asked Fury and promoter Frank Warren whether the fight on December 23 would still be happening.
Warren interjected to diplomatically say: “He’s gonna rest up, that’s what’s gonna happen next and then he’s gonna make a decision of what he wants to do because he’s the boss.”
A cagey Fury then said: “Listen, I’m gonna go home, I’ve been in training camp now for 12 weeks. I’ve got a long tough old camp in. I’m gonna go home, take a long hard rest and then we’ll see what’s next for us.”
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Usyk was later jettisoned into the ring and went face to face with Fury.
Fury was more buoyant by the time the two squared up and said: “Listen, it’s been going on a long time. We were supposed to fight in April at Wembley. It never happened. Let’s do the fight over here [Saudi Arabia].
“His excellency Turki Al-Sheikh is going to put the fight on for all the belts, the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. Let’s go my brother, let’s go.”
Usyk put it more simply, and said: “Let’s go.”
Denzel then put it simply and said: “Will the fight be on December 23? It’s been touted across the boxing world. Will we see it on that date?”
Fury replied: “Listen it’s not up to me, I’m a fighter and he’s a fighter. I’m sure we could go now. Let’s go now if you want!”
Denzel then turned to Usyk and said: “Can we agree 23rd of December?”
A slightly confused Usyk replied: “Oui.”
The two squared up in the ringCredit: GETTY
Frank Warren interjected to say: “He speaks perfect English! Don’t you worry about that.”
After Usyk said he wanted the fight again, Denzel asked Warren if the fight would happen.
Warren poured cold water on the speculation and said no decision coudl be made until a cut on Fury’s head was loooked at.
He added: “I don’t think the date will be announced yet. I don’t, in my opinion, that’s where we go.
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“But the fight is wanted. It’s done, this man done it here [pointing to Al-Sheikh]. This fight is on, these guys both want it and it’s just a matter of now setting a date.
“Tyson’s got a cut there, so there’s no good saying a date whilst he’s got a cut on the top of his head. But this fight is on. It’s the biggest fight in boxing.” More

TYSON FURY had to climb off the canvas and rely on the judges to rescue his £150million Fight of the Century and undisputed heavyweight world title decider with Oleksandr Usyk.The Gypsy King was decked by the African Adonis in the third and badly bruised by the professional boxing debutant and looked destined for utter disaster.
Tyson Fury locked horns with Francis Ngannou in a farcical Saudi showdownCredit: GETTY
Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou boxed incredibly well against The Gypsy KingCredit: Getty
The Predator knocked down Fury in the third with a big left hookCredit: GETTY
But he was saved by shocking judges who somehow called the one-sided showdown: 95-94 Ngannou, 96-93 Fury and 95-94 Fury.
A luck Fury admitted: “That definitely wasn’t in the script. Francis is a hell of a fighter.
“He’s strong, he’s a big puncher and a lot better boxer than we thought he’d ever be.”
The 35-year-old added: “He’s a very awkward man and he’s a very good puncher.
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“And I respect him a lot, before the fight and after the fight.”
The Saudi Arabia showbiz throwdown between the undefeated WBC champion and Cameroon’s 37-year-old MMA fighter – who never saw the inside of a professional gym until he was 22 – was supposed to be a mismatch.
It was planned as just a fancy sweetener for Saudi Arabia to bankroll a multi-fight deal which includes the mouthwatering decider with Ukraine’s WBA. IBF and WBO boss on December 23 and a potential rematch in the Spring.
But Ngannou – who made a life-changing £8m for his family for generations – almost ripped up the script by chasing Fury all over Riyadh and peppering with blows.
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Fury struggled to deal with the former UFC star’s awkward styleCredit: Getty
Francis Ngannou lands a stiff left hook on the chin on Tyson FuryCredit: GETTY
Dad John had his boy’s WBC world title belt over his shoulder but it was not on the line but – thanks to a late deal done by the British Boxing Board of Control – Fury’s undefeated record was.
Ngannou had Mike Tyson – who Fury was named after – in his corner, more as a cheerleader and promotional tool than trainer.
Once the ring had risen up from underneath the ground where the stage stood seconds earlier, the cross-over action kicked off.
Fury raced across the ring and tried to knock Ngannou out with the first left hook of the night but missed the target.
The former UFC champ’s best effort of the opener was a double-jab-right hand that Fury had to use his incredible defensive skills to avoid.
The Brit’s best moment of the opener was a left-hook-right-hand counter after Ngannou had lunged in with a jab to his fleshy torso.
The only thing that reality threatened the Usyk Christmas cracker was an injury or cut to Fury so of course a small stream of blood broke out from the middle of his forehead in the second.
It looked like Ngannou had accidentally butted him and was thankfully far from his eyes and unlikely to cause any serious problems in this fight or the next.
Fury turned southpaw in the third and the biggest problem he seemed to be having was keeping his green shorts up over his 19st 11lbs love handles.
Then out of nowhere Ngannou – billed as the hardest punching person on the planet – landed a left hook that collapsed Fury.
Stunned yet smiling he somehow beat the count and danced around the ring, Usyk perched at ringside looked seriously concerned his dream was going up in smoke.
Flabby Fury was wobbly again in the fourth but managed to recover his senses and tag Ngannou back as he threatened to tire out.
Fury managed to land a big right hand in the fifth but Ngannou’s chin held up brilliantly while a welt started growing bulbous and purple under the struggling Englishman’s left eye.
Francis Ngannou made Tyson Fury look extremely ordinaryCredit: GETTY
Tyson Fury raises the WBC strap aloft after his narrow points winCredit: GETTY
In round seven Fury fell to the floor again and got tangled in the ropes but it was rightly ruled a slip and not another disaster.
Ngannou – who was supposed to gas out after a few early rounds – battered Fury almost senseless in round eight.
The shaven skull of the Morecambe mastermind was rattled all over the ring.
Fury boasted beforehand that Ngannou could never beat him even with a machete and pistol in his hands but a pair of 10oz gloves were doing just fine.
Fury ran away for all of the boring ninth, conceding control of the centre of the ring to a man who wasn’t even paid for his first two MMA fights and hid the £2000 he landed from his third under a single Paris slum mattress.
And the self-proclaimed Gypsy King ran deeper into exile in the tenth and final round, hiding on the outskirts of the ring, by the ropes, desperately trying to avoid getting knocked out and having the Usyk clash officially canned.
Former refugee Ngannou held his head up high despite being coming up short in his pro boxing debut.
The MMA man-mountain said: “We can run it back again and I’m sure I’m gonna get better.
“This was my first boxing match, [it was] a great experience.
“I’m not giving any excuses, I know I came up short. But I’m gonna go back and work harder.
“And with a little bit more experience and a little more feeling for the game and come back even stronger.”
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“He added: Now I know I can do this s**t. So hey, baby, get ready. Get ready.
“The wolf is in the house. So I’m gonna bite some s**t.”
Tyson Fury preserved his undisputed title fight with Oleksandr Usyk by the skin of his teethCredit: Getty More