AJ,s Vendetta against the fans. How long can he get away with it ?

He’s probably only got one fight left so I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.

He has lost interest from fans since his outburst after the second Usyk fight and that shows in attendance and streaming views.

 

He's one of the most under the microscope boxers out there, everything he does gets a polarizing reaction from fans so to be honest I don't blame him. As long as he doesn't start assaulting pensioners or slapping phones out of people's hands like his new best mate Conor.

 

Not a big deal really for me.

AJ has lost the casual audience, because his level has been found. That isn’t a criticism of AJ, he is a very good fighter. He just isn’t elite. He also doesn’t have the commercial juggernaut of sky behind him.

I don’t really see why he fights Wilder. I mean as a fan of boxing I would love to see it. But as an unbiased neutral, it’s hard to see how he doesn’t get splattered in a couple of minutes.

I would go Hrgovic then Fury, or just to Fury. Even though Fury is a heavy favourite, Fury is keeping it long and outboxing him to a UD or possible late KO. He could always land big himself. It is a better match up stylistically in my opinion.

 

tbf most students would benefit from a smack.

 

I don't AJ would have had the bottle left to let his hands go tbf.

 

unless they hung around for 27 mins, then they're done for

 

I think it's the right fight to pursue.

Don't know what AJ 2023 can do, but I'd have backed him to beat Wilder if they'd fought a couple of years ago. He has / had the tools to do it, the question is around his mentality.

A good win sets up a Fury fight and would paper over some of the cracks.

I don't think he beats a prepared in shape Fury however. I suspect that fight would be his, lucrative , swansong.

 

I always liked the Fury fight more style wise as AJ does have a lot of nervous energy and I don’t see the right hand of Wilder missing.

 

We can call it gunshy, cautious or whatever but this approach makes him more difficult to chin which is surely an improvement? He's obviously losing some of his original fan base but in terms of legacy and longevity, he's doing the right thing imo.

 

Well a lot of my argument is based on Wilder's flaws rather than Joshua's strengths, which are in question now. Fury's second fight with Wilder, maybe the Ortiz fights as well, they show a fighter who is not comfortable fighting off the back foot. As long as his opponent has the dimensions (check) and the mentality (Ahem) to apply the pressure then Wilder has a problem setting up that right hand. Barry Jones on the last BBC podcast made the point that Wilder's looped shots leave him vulnerable and that he'd previously backed AJ to beat him. However, he, like all of us, is now far less sure given what we've seen from Joshua over the last couple of years.

One other point, none of these guys are getting younger and there's an opportunity at present due to Saudi largesse. This fight likely ends
in a highlight reel KO and the winner is set up nicely for winner of a likely less exciting Usyk Fury contest. They may as well get on with it and see where the chips fall.

 

there’s only one British heavyweight who has a real vendetta against the fans

voluntary defence on PPV in a freezing cold stadium against Derek Chisora, ducking Usyk, then a gimmick fight against some UFC chancer

he’s laughing at us

 

Joshua, Fury, Whyte, Chisora, Haye and Bellew - all rolling on their backs laughing at boxing fans while throwing their PPV Loot around like confetti.

 

I remember saying many years ago, the new-found super-wealth of footballers would eventually find its way back into the game, for those who actually care about it. The Man Utd guys running with Salford is probably the main example but over time there will be more.

You'd like to think that given the excess wealth AJ has made out of boxing, some of it might find its way back? 258 and DAZN are good outlets for him to do that, you could see him being a sort of partner for Hearn in future pushing younger fighters through. Maybe.