Anthony Joshua reveals why Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder fights haven't happened ahead of Ngannou showdown

Nine days out from his bout against former UFC star Francis Ngannou, Anthony Joshua says that he is not one to back down from a challenge.

The former two-time heavyweight world champion faces Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on March 8 as he continues his quest to return to the top of the tree in boxing. Throughout his career, Joshua has faced a series of top-notch opponents, including Wladimir Klitschko and Oleksandr Usyk, as well as Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin. However, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist is yet to share a ring with rivals Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.

Joshua says that he had agreed to fight both men in the past, but that nothing materialised for different reasons. He had even signed a contract to fight Wilder this year, but the match was cancelled when the American unexpectedly lost to his former opponent Parker. The 34-year-old told Sky Sports News that the cancellation was "annoying in a way because in fight week we met up, we spoke to lawyers, we signed contracts, all that good stuff". He added: "It's a fight that fans want to see. I'm not saying it's completely written off."

"You know what it proved to me, I've signed to fight Fury, I've signed to fight Wilder, I've signed to fight a lot of people. I just do good business. I'm a good prizefighter, I don't duck a challenge," Joshua stated. "I'm always up for it. I just feel to myself I'll always be here and ready to fight any time."

Joshua was unable to reclaim the unified world heavyweight titles in his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk back in 2022. However, since his last defeat to the Ukrainian, Joshua has secured three victories and plans to use his upcoming match with Ngannou to assess his position in the division.

"He had a good outing as well