Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana was in Riyadh over the weekend.
It’s always a common sight at major boxing events for the biggest names in the world of entertainment and sport.
With the football season over, it’s time for United’s players to make the most of their time off after finishing the 2023/24 campaign on a high by winning the FA Cup.
Onana was in attendance at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh for Saturday night’s unique boxing event as two of boxing’s most prominent promotors, Queensberry’s Frank Warren and Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn picked five fights to go head-to-head to establish which promotion has the better talent.
The main fight on the night saw Deontay Wilder flatlined by Zhilei Zhang in the fifth round.
United’s first-choice keeper was spotted chatting to heavyweight boxer and Olympic champion Anthony Joshua, as well as Saudi Arabia’s minister for entertainment Turki Al-Sheikh, who is responsible for putting on the 5v5 boxing event.
The video below shows Onana calling for a knockout in the fight between Wilder and Zhang, so the Cameroon star got exactly what he wanted on the night.
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A separate clip shows Joshua intrigued enough to ask Onana about the pressures of dealing with penalty shootouts given he’s an expert following his FA Cup heroics this season.
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It was a successful night for Queensberry as they celebrated a 10-0 whitewash of Matchroom. It looks like Onana enjoyed himself too!
Onana takes inspiration from boxing icon Muhammad Ali
Onana endured a turbulent first season at United following his transfer from Inter. The goalkeeper took time to adapt but his levels of performance improved after he returned from the Africa Cup of Nations.
The former Barcelona and Ajax stopper has a strong mindset and always takes responsibility, especially when he is at fault for mistakes that lead to goals. It’s an honourable trait to have in your goalkeeper.
Speaking to Inside United, Onana explained why he takes inspiration from legendary boxer Muhammed Ali.
“It’s his mindset. It was not something easy. He had to pass through a lot of difficulties and he was only looking at the positive side, the positive parts. He was very positive and that is what I like.
“You know, no matter what happens in life, I’ve always said that it cannot rain forever, the sun will shine. And yet the sun will not shine forever, the rain will come. So just find a good balance, especially when you are a football player.
“When you have a bad day, a better day will come. It’s not when you are having a bad day that you feel it will never change. It will change but it’s not because you are having a good day that it will stay forever.
“Everything is temporary and you have to know how to manage that. When you are in a bad mood, take a positive. When you are in a good mood, take a positive. Just enjoy yourself and be happy, be with the people you love and always stay positive.”
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