Although Joshua dismissed the idea of a crossover matchup with Ngannou as a “gimmick” last year, the bout between the two fighters is now only a few weeks away.

Anthony Joshua has not changed his initial remarks that a fight with Francis Ngannou would be a “gimmick.”

Although Joshua initially downplayed a bout with Ngannou, the former two-time heavyweight champion will now take on the former UFC champion on March 8. This fight came about as a result of Ngannou’s great performance in his boxing debut against Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder’s surprising defeat of Joseph Parker, which ended Joshua’s two-fight contract.

Only a few weeks after defeating Jermaine Franklin in April of last year, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing Boss, disclosed the British fighter’s genuine feelings about the bout. “AJ and I talked about the fight. Though he’s currently very focused on his boxing career, he likes it and gets it. Hearn told The Mac Life, “He doesn’t want to undermine that by doing something a little bit gimmicky.”

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Joshua gave an explanation of how his perspective on the fight shifted following Wilder’s defeat by Parker on the undercard of his victory over Otto Wallin via knockout. “I chose to stick to boxing as my path. They had mentioned this battle earlier, and I had responded, “No, it’s a gimmick fight.” It’s not what I believe to be correct,” he remarked.

“Crossing over when I’m still trying to win the heavyweight title. This was their chance, especially after seeing what transpired in his last bout and the circumstances surrounding Deontay Wilder. I’m excited about the challenge because I’ve never turned one down. It’s the most difficult task I’ve ever faced.”

Joshua’s recent change of heart about the fight was met with laughter from Ngannou, who remarked, “It’s still a gimmick fight; the fight is a gimmick.” It reminds me of a gimmick battle, like this is a crossover, which makes me think it’s hilarious. This is my second pro match. I’m going up against two of the best heavyweight fighters of this generation in my first two boxing contests. It’s an engaging challenge that’s great.”

By stopping Fury in their crossover battle, Ngannou silenced his detractors, and he believes Joshua lacks the resiliency to bounce back from a similar blow. Although Ngannou has stated that he isn’t interested in competing for titles, the victor of their match has been offered a chance to challenge either Fury or Oleksandr Usyk for the world title.