Anthony Joshua will get stopped by Francis Ngannou, according to Shaun George, the trainer of Zhilei Zhang.

Joshua and Ngannou fight on Friday evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in an occasion with the potential to shape the remainder of Joshua’s career.

In the event of a convincing victory in Ngannou’s first fight since the Cameroonian knocked down and so severely tested Tyson Fury, the 34-year-old Joshua could finally secure a fight with his biggest rival. If he instead loses, his reputation will be damaged – and perhaps beyond repair.

Zhang’s fight with Joseph Parker – Zhang is also targeting a future fight with Fury; Parker lost his undefeated status to Joshua in 2018 – is the chief support to Joshua-Ngannou, and the Chinese heavyweight’s trainer believes he has seen enough to be certain that Ngannou, 37, will win.

“Joshua gets stopped,” George told DAZN. “That’s my opinion. I’m the one to say it – Anthony Joshua gets stopped in this fight. 

“Joshua is the better boxer – he should win the fight. I understand why everybody in the boxing world is picking Joshua [to win] and he’s doing it for the sport of boxing. 

“But looking at Francis Ngannou – people is not looking at that he’s actually been in the boxing gym for five years, with [his trainer] Dewey Cooper. Training twice a week; three times a week; even in the gym sparring with other boxers.”

George had previously insisted that Zhang’s ability to make “adjustments” will prove the key to victory over Parker.

“You gotta take into consideration that the rhythm [of mixed martial artists] is different,” he continued. “I see it in the gym all the time – MMA fighters go against boxers; their rhythm is different; they fight at a different pace. I’m not sure Anthony Joshua can make that adjustment.”