Ranked as the tenth best boxer in the world in the heavyweight category by the WBC, Francis Ngannou has been granted a privilege that many professionals in the sport have been seeking for years. While this ranking is attracting criticism, Mauricio Sulaiman, the organisation’s president, has defended himself.
A formidable MMA fighter, Francis Ngannou made his stunning debut in the noble art on 28 October. In an exhibition bout against the British champion in his category, Tyson Fury, the 37-year-old Cameroonian succeeded in his gamble of taking up English boxing and proving that he has the ability to succeed in this arena too. Heralded as the underdog, the Predator is going to beat the odds and deliver an aggressive fight that the Gypsy King is going to find hard to handle.
“It’s my recommendation”
Despite the blows he landed, Ngannou hurt his unbeaten professional opponent more with violent blows. In the third round, he even wobbled Fury with a left punch that knocked him out. For the rest of the 10 rounds, the former UFC champion manhandled his opponent to such an extent that the majority of spectators, with the exception of two of the three judges, voted him the winner. In the end, it was Fury who was declared the winner of the fight by split decision of the judges. Immediately after the fight, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said that Ngannou should make a direct entry into the Top 10 of the best boxers.
“That’s my recommendation to the Rankings Committee. Nobody can doubt that someone who upsets the champion and loses a split decision deserves to be ranked. We’ll see what happens, I hope the committee will consider the request that has been made and that justice will be done, because without a doubt the jaw he showed, the power of his fists and the stability as a fighter were demonstrated against the best, against the number one in the world”, the WBC boss confided in the aftermath.
Sulaiman discusses the WBC’s ranking rules
Finally, things were made official on 15 November when Francis Ngannou was awarded tenth place. While observers such as Mike Tyson felt that the Cameroonian deserved even better, others made no secret of their disappointment. The latter feel that a professional fight is not enough to earn such a place, and accuse the WBC of favouritism. Recently, Sulaiman broke his silence to defend the decision of his organisation, which had only followed the rules.
“First of all, it’s based on the rules. The WBC’s grading criteria include many parameters such as record, activity, level of opposition, and other aspects, including activity in amateur boxing, Olympic boxing or any other contact sport. We have ranked many Thai fighters who have had a successful career in Muay Thai or Thai boxing and have gone on to box professionally. We have so many precedents. For Ngannou to enter the rankings, it is supported by the rules,” said Sulaiman in comments relayed by dalyartofsurvival.
So it’s clear that Predator’s past in MMA, a contact sport using English boxing techniques, played a part in the WBC’s decision. What is certain is that the native of Batié is no ordinary boxer. With his reputation as the best puncher in the world, it’s clear that he’s one step ahead of many boxers. In any case, we’ll have plenty of time to appreciate Francis Ngannou in his next few outings. There’s talk of a rematch against Fury himself and perhaps other challenges against Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua.
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