Francis Ngannou’s striking coach Dewey Cooper believes Tyson Fury’s elbow during the much talked about boxing match in Saudi Arabia was intentional.
Most pundits didn’t have Fury landing an elbow on Ngannou on their bingo card during the late October showdown. At the same time, very few people gave Ngannou a chance of making the Fury fight competitive, let alone losing a controversial split decision. Cooper is now wondering what would’ve happened if the referee acknowledged Fury’s illegal elbow strike.
Dewey Cooper Says Tyson Fury Intentionally Hit Francis Ngannou With Illegal Elbow
Luke Thomas of Morning Kombat got a chance to speak with Dewey Cooper in the aftermath of Fury vs. Ngannou. Cooper is of the belief that the elbow strike should’ve played a role in the outcome of the fight. He also feels “The Gypsy King” landed the illegal maneuver on purpose.
“One hundred percent [Fury’s elbow was intentional],” Cooper said. “That shows the frustration. When things aren’t going as easy or as cool as you thought, these type of things happen. It was a mark of frustration. I’m disappointed the referee didn’t even say anything or penalize him for it because that really made a difference in the fight. I still had Francis winning two, three, four, eight, 10. Seven was close. You penalize him with the elbow, we win that round too. I had him winning five to six rounds, and with the knockdown we got it. So, it should’ve been 96-94, or 95-94 for us.”
Who Does Cooper Want Ngannou to Fight Next?
As far as Francis Ngannou’s next opponent is concerned, Cooper is confident in his fighter’s abilities no matter who the opposition is.
“Any of ’em ’cause we’re gonna devise a plan and be ready, but I definitely love an Anthony Joshua fight,” Cooper said. “I definitely love that fight, and you know, Deontay Wilder that’s a good fight also, but honestly, real champions see no faces.”
Here’s Morning Kombat’s full interview with Dewey Cooper:
