I'm annoyed at Wlad

He did the best he could. He was out for 17 months he wasn't going to look like super man and he is 41 years old. That is usually a recipe for disaster and he put up a good fight. There clearly was some timing issues which is expected. You have to remember what Joe Louis, Ali, Holmes, Tyson, etc looked like in their late 30's not to mention being over 40. There is a reason that Foreman is the only man to win a Heavyweight title fight over 40. All credit to Joshua for doing what he had to do to win. I think Wlad should call it a day and enjoy his family and money it is well deserved.

 

Known what to do and when is part of boxing. I think Wlad was right to do what he did. At the time it looked like Wlad could wear Joshua down, and easily stop him late. He was wrong.

 

Wlad has to be annoyed at Wlad too. Joshua was there for the taking. Still a fan of Klitschkos and respect what they have done.

 

If he'd went to the body and mixed it after the KD he'd have stopped him. Joshua was just covering up and praying for the bell.

 

Maybe the OP should fight AJ next and finish the job.

 

The first time I watched it I thought he lightened up on AJ too much. When I watched it earlier today I changed my mind. Wlad did try, but AJ did a good job of avoiding wlads blows. Of Wlad had done much more he would have been in danger of A. Getting badly countered by AJ or B. Shooting his wad, allowing himself to gas later in the fight. He'd done that earlier in his career and was hoping/relying on AJ to do the same.

Hindsight is 20/20 and in retrospect he should have pressed even more. But I no longer think it was a bad decision at the time nor that he really even lighten up on AJ much if at all.

 

I would agree with you if Wladimir hadn't been dramatically losing the first 4 and a half rounds wide before he first hit Joshua with something big. He should have known better and tried to close the show with an assault, perhaps to get the ref to jump in during that sixth for example, especially knowing that he couldn't take Joshua's power when Joshua would eventually recover.

 

Wlad has always fought careful fights, taking minimal risks, perhaps Wlad knew that a injured animal is at its most dangerous when cornered, and let us not lie, seeing AJ in the moments after that knockdown, even his biggest fans must have thought WK had full control from there on in, so why would WK rush in.

AJs powers of recuperation most certainly are not in doubt now, most fighters do not get up from a WK powershot.

 

I don't agree that Aj was simply there for the taking. I've already seen the fight like 10x and w lad did throw hard shots while Aj was hurt but he couldn't connect. Aj kept him mind in the fight and wlad didn't know what to do.

Let's be honest here, the shot wlad put Aj down with has been a fight ending shot for 20 years. Fighters don't get up from that shot. If they do they're sitting ducks not a completely aware fighter dodging shots.

Both deserve mad RESPECT. Wlad proved me very wrong. He got himself in pristine condition and literally put on his best performance
Vitali was close to correct that Wlad unbeatable last night. He beats everyone he's ever fought last night, except Aj and even that could've happened.

Some think because he wasn't wild swinging he wasn't pulling the trigger...in the 5th and 6th he threw every punch he had and landed some of his best shots. Fighters are ended with those shots Aj absorbed

 

He pulled the trigger but was missing his punches by a mile. Did you see that left hook lead he tried to get AJ with when he had him hurt? He threw it from the other side of the universe and it missed so bad lol.

 

Agreed, I thought Wlad took control after he got up. He hurt Aj in the 5th and the shot in the 6th is supposed to end it. Aj recovered, showed he's special by turning it around in the 10th then ending it

 

Simple fact of the matter is that Wlad's done.

 

Wlad was looking for a signature KO - probably with that leaping left hook of his - because he is a geeky perfectionist and wanted his Kodak moment to be immortalised.

The problem is that he was missing with it all night but he still being persistent in trying to find and use it. It never happened and he paid the price.

 

Re watch it, Wlad did everything he could to get AJ out of there, had he gone any harder he would have ended up gassing. AJ was making him miss and was still dangerous, Wlad unloaded his best shots and couldn't get Joshua out. Great fight by both men, will go down as one of the greatest heavyweight fights ever imo.