[url]https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/49255262[/url] I highlighted this on a thread already but I felt that it deserved a separate discussion. I found this quite alarming talk from Joshua, and I do suspect this was the reason behind his dodgy ring entrance and strange behaviour in the ring before the fight. Then there was the pummelling and most telling for me was the 4th knockdown. Ruiz barely landed a shot to put him down and Joshua just took a knee and spat the gumshield out. It’s not just about lacking passion on fight night, it’s about the 12 weeks prior to it and I am unconvinced you can prepare adequately without that passion. You can be professional, but can you really truly put 100% in without it? He’s going in against a hungry (no pun intended) fighter who undoubtedly has plenty of passion. Is this lad being pushed into fighting when he doesn’t really want to fight, and is this the reason behind his dad kicking off at Hearn? I appreciate nobody can make you fight, but I mean contractually or even an obligation to continue to grow the brand. The lad hasn’t really had a break since the Olympics either. The pressure on him as been staggering really although he’s been rewarded financially. Prior to being blitzed by Ruiz, he’d gone quite conservative in his fighting style and wanted to avoid the kind of war he had with Klitschko imo. Anyway, interested to hear people’s thoughts about the ‘passion’ talk from AJ.
Alarming. He also says: I need to be around as many boxing people as possible because right now I need to soak in the experience and knowledge - and get that passion back Who's he referring to here? Does he mean he needs rid of his non-boxing posse? Or does he need the likes of a Lennox Lewis in his camp? (Can't see that happening). It's just the most bizarre set of statements. But if what he has said is true, without passion you can't have heart. If you don't want to be there in the first place you won't be there when the going gets tough. Does that maybe explain him leaning back against the ropes, calling the fight off? I thought there was something wrong going into that fight. He looked really off in the ring walk and immediately beforehand. So I kind of made excuses in my head and believed he could turn it around in the rematch. Surely there must be some big calamity behind the scenes that can be avoided for the return fight. But having read that, I think he might be going Buster Douglas on us. He's made his money, life is easy, screw this getting punched for a living game.
He is sinking and pulling out soundbites he thinks,or is being told that the casuals want to hear... If he was his own man he would have agreed terms straight away,disappeared for 6 months and come back and destroyed Ruiz... He looks like a golden goose to me atm
He has stated more than once and long before Ruiz knocked him around that he did not want to go to the trenches and that he would give up if the question kept being asked. The statement today backs it up.
A lot of questions will be answered in the rematch. But there are definitely warning signs for Joshua's mindset. The training camp in Miami might not have been to his benefit either if he was over there combining his training camp with a holiday.
All I saw in that interview was his ego talking. I’m fine with that, that’s how fighters should talk, but the ‘regaining his passion’ statement was alarming imo.
Cliche script from him again. Listen to how the lad talks it's almost like he is reading from an autocue
I don't care what anyone says, there was something wrong with AJ BEFORE the fight started. I said it to my son.."Some thing ain't right with AJ" Why did AJ say to his angry Dad in the ring after the fight "It was me" He clearly went into that fight with something not right.
Sounds like a man whose heart isn't in it anymore trying to convince themselves they still want it. Comments like that are usually ominous like when a fighter talk about retirement before a bout they always go on to lose or Roy Jones before the Tarver rematch asking for the fans support to help him win. Ominous.
The way that the loss seemed to come as a massive relief to Joshua speaks volumes. It was as if all the pressure and expectation had suddenly been lifted of his shoulders. Then que videos of him holidaying in Spain and Nigeria it seemed like he finally had some time to be Anthony again. The loss could have been just the respite his career needs but I just hope he is not being pushed to hard by Hearn and his goons to get back in the ring. He will either come back a whole different animal or completely capitulate again under the pressure. Just hope it's not too soon for him as maybe a long lay off is exactly what he needs to get the 'passion' back.
I don’t think he’ll fight late into his 30’s anyway. He might want to get out of the game early like Groves.
