***Joshua is mentally shot***

Disagree entitely - I actually saw much BETTER mental fortitude from Joshua.
If you watch again, he was clearly bamboozled rounds 3/4 and I think in between he looked like a rabbit in the headlights, and you could clearly see him thinkng "holy ****, this guy is WAY BETTER than me!"

At that point I thought Josh was going to unravel, gas and we would se an Usyk / Bellew type KO around 8/9.

But to his credit - and I didn't think he had it in him - AJ bit down on his gumshield, and let his hands go a bit more in 5/6 stemming the tide for a bit - he kept Usyk honest with a couple of solid jabs, and a couple of decent body shots; Usyk's workrate dipped in 5/6 IMO BECAUSE Joshua didn't unravel and tried his best to make adjustments.

However, Usyk came storiming back in the 7th with his own adjustment, and started to time Josh with heavier overhand lefts, and this made Joshua cautious and his output dropped again.

I was also a lot more impressed with AJs gastank, I never expected him to last all 12 at that hellacious pace that Usyk pushed; sure he was out on his feet at the end - but only Fury in the top 10 today could have lived with Usyk from last night IMO.

Think it's harsh on Joshua - he wasn't exposed / a bum / shot etc - that detracts far too much from Usyk's positives - he was simply beaten by the better boxer, who was always a terrible stylistic matchup for AJ given his strengths / weaknesses.

My 2c.

 

Joshua is not mentally shot.

Joshua is being trained by a top amateur trainer. He is trying to make AJ fight like an amateur, with point scoring shots.

AJ is not utilising his best attributes and is too busy trying to be a more technical boxer. He will never compete against some of these guys with his boxing 'skill', he'll compete by fighting and hitting hard.

"No, AJ, it's rd 9 and you're on the way to a points loss. Don't double jab and pivot. Start letting your shots go or you'll lose this fight."

One thing Wilder deserves credit for; he knows his right hand is his weapon, and he'll spend the fight looking to use that weapon.

 

He seems mentally finished to me.

 

No answer ? How about a counter like the ones Ortiz and Molina hurt Wilder with ?

 

Just don't see it...and incidentally he KOd Ortiz and Molina too.

 

I dunno. Joshua has been crabbing for over four years, moving in a sort of sideways evolution since he defeated Klitschko. Some forward development, some backward, resulting in him pretty much being stuck at about the same level.

 

Because Ortiz and Molina don't have the finishing capabilities of Joshua. If Joshua has Wilder on bambi legs it's game over

 

Nah Joshua's done to be honest...Wilder is too but Wilder is more mentally ill, AJ is just finished.

 

Done ? Damn i guess that means he won't win any more major fights.

 

Most likely not. Look at his body language during and after the fight. He is spent.

 

Yep, finished. He won't beat any more top fighters.

 

You heard it here first!

 

Because you told me he was done !

 

Yes, wait and see if I am proved right.

 

You could see the look on his face in the corner after round one 'what the **** have I got myself into' .