Mike Tyson joins Francis Ngannou’s training team for Tyson Fury bout

As Francis Ngannou prepares to put on the boxing gloves in a fight against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, he’s brought in the legendary Mike Tyson into his training camp, as ESPN reports.

Ngannou and Fury are due to meet in Saudi Arabia on Oct. 28 and will need to gather all the boxing wisdom he can absorb until that time, as the experience disparity can’t get much wider. So speaking about the task at had, Tyson says he’s a believer in Ngannou’s power.

“It’s no secret I back Ngannou 100 percent in this face-off of champions,” Tyson said in a prepared statement. “He has one hard punch, and when it lands, it’s game over. I am looking forward to working with Ngannou and supporting his transition from the Octagon to the boxing ring.”

Tyson would continue to say that although Ngannou hasn’t boxed professionally before, he isn’t a novice to combat sports and says they’ll be preparing him to enter the ring with a real desire to win.

“Bringing Mike Tyson into my training camp is one of the best decisions I can make to prepare for Tyson Fury in the ring at this year’s Riyadh Season,” Ngannou said. “Mike Tyson is an idol of mine in the sport. His experience and boxing IQ will be important to honing my technique under his guidance to win this super fight.

If having Tyson in camp brings confidence and improvements to Ngannou’s boxing, then more power to him. Unfortunately Tyson won’t be able to get in the ring for him, so Ngannou is going to have to show and prove on his own merits once the bell rings.