If AJ fights safety-first and wins a stinker ...

Him being knackered was largely due to him giving up centre of the ring so easily and circling around way out of distance IMO. He backed up right away and from that point was covering three times as much distance as Ruiz.

We've seen in the past that when he gets hurt he seems to really blow hard at the same time (Whyte fight probably the best example of this). He did the same in the Ruiz fight and then eventually got his legs back. Ruiz started hitting his body hard from the 6th though and that once again caught up with him.

To my mind, he was trying to box off the back foot and use his range but didn't have the stamina or ring iq to do so. He should have worked out his hooks were where he was being countered so like his trainer said, stop throwing them! Agree with your last paragraph in terms of approach to the next fight

 

Lewis hit Tua and shook him to his boots early in the fight then leaned back and picked of a Tua who was hesitant to engage.

And no offence to Ruiz jr buy he's no Tua.

Tua was icing the likes of John Ruiz in 30 seconds, and some were calling him the new Tyson. Tua was having a brutal slugfest with Ike while ruiz was going life and death with pudding Parker.

Ruiz jr isn't known for being an offensive juggernaut, because he isn't

Prime Tua knocks ruiz jr unconscious inside 3 rounds. A no defence guy who wants to trade hooks inside, Tua would feast.

 

Totally agree. Imo Joshua is not built to box for 3 minutes a round. He’s built to be explosive. To be explosive he can’t afford to be using the gas to cover the yards backpedaling and flicking out jabs.

 

He can't afford to stand and hook with Ruiz that's for sure.
In my mind the defeat stemmed from the fact he thought had had Ruiz badly hurt when in reality Ruiz was square on and wasn't able to support himself. It was a good shot, but not the fight ender AJ thought it was. He went for the finish got caught and although he managed a quiet round later on Ruiz's body work emptied the tank and once he was low on gas he was ready to go

I've always thought he's a bit easy to hit AJ... in the rematch keep in long - but sharp. A bit like Haye used to...no combos of 5 or 6 punches. Keep it steady and explosive and just wear Ruiz down for a few rounds. He does't need to go looking for huge left hooks early. Drop the right hand on him a few times.

He's also got a bit of the Khan in him, gets hurt and he wants to fire back immediately sometimes it better to take one, hold recover and then get back into it.

AJ can win rematch - but there is a vulnerability there for all to see now. It does mean a lot of guys could come rushing at him trying to put him under straight away and perversely that might play into Joshua's hands.

Drop a few pounds of weight. Don't get involved too much in the first few rounds just regular heavy shots with the reset times he needs and then by round 5 see where the fights at. Ruiz will be looking to win the same way as before. Get inside unload fast combos to head and body - but he himself fought in spurts if AJ can keep the pressure steady - maybe with foot work or feints he can cause Ruiz to unravel.

 

He needs to literally grab ruiz in a headlock every time ruiz gets close

And I mean a headlock and put a bit of squeeze on his neck.

Do it until you've had two warnings.

 

You guys severely underestimate AJ's mental make up after the loss........remember, he quit.

IMO, his confidence is shot.......fighting is 80%mentall and 20% physical.......

AJ is not ready for another fire fight right now.........and he does not have the skill, stamina or discipline to box for 12 while getting pressured and he aint learning jab and grab in 6 months

He had the jitters in the first fight, he will be looking for a way out in the second most likely......he HAS to win, tremendous pressure before he even steps into the ring.

I bet my bottom dollar that Hearns is sweating bullets right now in regards to AJ's mental state aka his meal ticket is gonna go away.

 

Where did this Ruz jnr can throw bombs for 12 rounds idea come from? I've seen it said a number of times on here and elsewhere and I just don't see it in him, he's only human and not the kind that looks like he can physically do such a thing. Sure he can come out swinging like last time but after 6 or 7 rounds that will change, that's when he'll struggle if you ask me, but it depends on how AJ approaches this fight and his mentality. I'm still not entirely sure about the last one, it's hard to argue with anyone who thinks it was strange because it was.

 

I agree 100%

Honestly and I'm being serious here, faking an injury that "puts AJ out" for 6 months is the best thing they can do right now. They can con ppv mugs with a comeback if they do that

It'll be hard to do that after AJ gets twatted again by ruiz jr

 

Yes, and most people thought Lewis stunk at the time.

 

He's not a high volume fighter at all. He did have a training camp, fight then couple of days off straight into another camp so he was in the best shape possible for him.

That being said he was still taking rounds and whole minutes of rounds off in a 7 round fight. He trots and throws a flurry then goes inactive for 60 seconds.

He's gone from underrated to overrated off the AJ win because he's still got a lot of flaws and I see him getting beat badly within a few fights.

 

If winning via a stinker gets him the victory good on him, I wonder if he can do that against a guy like Ruiz though, the man has clearly been underrated.

 

AJ would in my opinion be best just going for broke I don't think he has the tools to dance around for 12 rounds against Ruiz I just think he needs to do what he does best and that's to go for the ko from the first bell use his weight to tie Ruiz up at any opportunity and use his speed and power to catch Ruiz cold. Let's not forget the combination that put Ruiz down was beautiful and he rushed in and got caught the fight could have been a comfortable victory. AJ is a brawler not a boxer with his size and strength advantage he needs to firmly put Ruiz in his place quickly otherwise the longer it goes on the most likely outcome will be a Ruiz victory.

 

Underated yes but still very beatable!

 

In my opinion, such a showing will ruin his popularity with fight fans (especially if he's rewarded a questionable stoppage or a dubious decion); but the casuals will like him regardless, I feel. To me, if he boxes as you've suggested and somehow lasts the distance and wins on points, it will say, loud and clear, that Andy is in Joshua's head to the point that Joshua, the apparently feared puncher who thrives on intimidation, wouldn't go for a finish against Ruiz but was instead content to stunk the joint out and win a decision.

Besides, what makes anyone believe that Joshua can employ a gameplan, box to orders under pressure and take a decision in the rematch, when he couldn't even heed and implement the most basic of instructions McCracken was issuing him with in the corner?

If course, Ruiz, 12 week camp and all, will render discussions such as these irrelevant when he mentally breaks and stops Joshua again.

 

Not by Joshua: I believe Joshua's style and approach is tailor-made for Ruiz, and if the first fight is anything to go by, he doesn't have the chin, the gas tank or the Boxing brain to keep Ruiz at bay for the full 12 rounds.