What is it like sparring Francis Ngannou?
That is the question many have wondered ahead of his fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia against Anthony Joshua on March 8.
One man who can give glimpses of the camp experience is Jeremiah Milton. Milton signed with Tony Holden Promotions recently and is managed by Victory Sports and Entertainment. Though a lot of fight fans might not be familiar with him yet, the 2019 US Olympic Trials silver medalist fought three times in 2023. He has also sparred Tyson Fury, Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois, Anthony Joshua, and now Ngannou.
Milton said the following via text about sparring with Ngannou.
“He’s heavy-handed and shows great composure in the ring,” wrote Milton. “We shouldn’t expect to see a master boxer but a fighter is a fighter, mixing fundamentals with instincts is always a dangerous mix – especially at heavyweight.”
The 29-year-old Milton, originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has relocated to Las Vegas. The boxing nomad has a record of 11-0 (7 KOs) as he aims to land a big fight in 2024.
Milton stands at 6ft 4ins, which is two inches shorter than Joshua. Milton also has an 80-inch reach, two inches shorter than Joshua’s. Milton is currently sparring and training with Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou is currently 0-1 as a professional, his lone career loss was a split-decision loss to Tyson Fury in a fight in which he dropped Fury, the WBC and lineal heavyweight world champion.
