Deontay Wilder pontificated his desire to face Andy Ruiz Jr. an incredibly long time ago. Malik Scott, his head trainer, followed suit.
A fight against two recent former heavyweight champs with a ton of fanfare and explosive power? It was a match made in ruthless heaven. Ultimately, although certain matchups are practically impossible to make, Wilder and Ruiz are on the “same side of the street.” That euphemism was also aided by the WBC sanctioning body.
Still, even with Mauricio Sulaiman ordering it, their showdown never became a reality. Now, with negotiations going nowhere, someone else has grabbed Scott’s attention.
Halfway across the globe this past weekend, Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champ, put Tyson Fury through - dropping him and nearly securing a split decision win.
In a conjectural world where Scott was given the chance to make all of the decisions, both Ruiz and Ngannou would jump to the top of his list. In terms of who he would actually choose, that’s an easy one, he would take the fighter that’s simply more fearsome and deadly in the ring.
“I think Ngannou is a lot more dangerous than a Ruiz,” Scott told krikya360.com recently.
Never in a million years did Scott envision a time when that statement would actually come out of his mouth. Ngannou, however, has Scott eating his words.
Wilder’s leading man isn’t just a teacher but he’s also a student of the game. Although Ngannou only has 10 rounds of experience under his belt, he noticed certain tendencies and traits in the boxing newbie. And while he doesn’t want to downplay Ruiz as a fighter, he just doesn’t see how the former heavyweight champ is a bigger threat to Wilder than Ngannou.
“He showed patience, he showed punching power. He’s very disciplined. Andy’s kryptonite is anyone that’s disciplined. Is Andy a better boxer than Francis Ngannou? Yes. Is he more dangerous than Francis Ngannou? Absolutely not.”