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

If I pay money to watch a 6'6" behemoth full to the eyes with PED'S fight a little fat boy I better see some action and I better see someone go out on their shield.

 

Likewise, i’d watched a few and along with @Potwash we were telling people (when the AJ fight was announced) how much we rated him.

Ruiz is beatable but I think all the heavyweights are. I think styles in the heavyweight division make a huge difference...all heavyweights have their kryptonite. I believe Joshua has always hated fighting the smaller, more mobile fighters. He was not comfortable with Povetkin, and even though Takam did not present a huge threat and barely won a round, AJ looked like he wasn’t enjoying that one either. Parker (not exactly small but mobile) caused him problems but wasn’t allowed to work by the ref.

This is a stylistic problem for Joshua. I’d recommend another look at him getting stopped against Nistor in the amateurs

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Nistor is 5”11, very mobile, fast hands, uses his boxing skills to work in on the inside to go to work on Joshua. Does anyone else agree that there’s tons of similarities with Nistor and Ruiz’s style and the fact that Joshua is clearly HUGELY uncomfortable with it?

I don’t get what Joshua can fix between now and Nov/Dec that he hasn’t been able to iron out of his game even from his amateur days.

I say it again, forget about Ruiz the chubby Mexican who’s beatable etc. Think styles.

 

The more I watch that video above the more I wonder why on earth did they pick Ruiz. If rumours are true, Joshua was getting starched by Dawejko in sparring...he’s 5”10. This is no coincidence, he has so much trouble against the smaller mobile lads. They didn’t go for Hunter and now that appears to make sense. Joshua doesn’t have the ring IQ, mobility or stamina to deal with the smaller fighters comfortably.

 

Ruiz had much cleaner offense than the guy in the clip but as soon as he got close AJ wanted to either move or hold so that now a few fights where undersized mobile guys have caused him issues. I've said before the Parker fight was very low key. If Parker had really been aggressive and pushed AJ who knows what would have happend.

Move to much and your in trouble when your AJ's size.

Maybe when Ruiz in range he needs to make it ugly, hold, grapple let the ref split u up.
Then sharp hard 1-2s and then reload. Ruiz needed his own reset time after his big surges so there are opportunities for both to work when the other is blowing a bit.
I think in the rematch we get to see how good AJ's ring IQ..I though it was decent Vs Wlad. Was able to beat (admittedly a 41) to the jab, and when hurt later in the fight he managed to get out of the way of the left hook.
Vs Ruiz he dropped the guy and thought that was it, fight over. Got involved up close in the other guys wheel house and that was the beginning of the end.

 

I question Mcracken massively, Joshua seems to have barely improved from when he turned pro, seriously.

The klitschko fight it become clear it was time for a change and he's looked not that impressive every fight since.

I think rob needs to admit he's taken him as far as he can and let roach take a look at him

 

Including apparently taking time outs anytime he gets hurt or dropped by sparring partners in these sessions.

It wouldn't at all surprise me if, in preparing for the rematch, Joshua and Hearn make all the sparring partners they will bring in to do these technical drills sign Non Disclosure Agreements, like Audley used to make his sparring partners do.

 

He gets in a sympathetic referee like Terry O'Connor for the rematch, with the instructions that he admonish Andy every time every time he lands a shot on Joshua, then awards Joshua with a five minute time out to recover.

 

Are you really sure about that, did you watch it properly?

Did you not see AJs follow up assault, including a cracking right hand that led to the exchange that got HIM put down....

 

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Already training to run

 

Somehow you've managed to describe the exact opposite of what actually happened!
He got dropped himself because he was swinging wildly after the knock down trying to get the finish.