Thoughts on AJ's performance?

7/10. Good performance against a tough awkward opponent. I enjoy watching AJ. You pay to watch KOs at heavyweight and he delivers... If he can't knock the opponent out the ref will do it for him! Absolutely terrible stoppage!

 

No I would say he looked slightly above average in that fight. I am not sure how much that nose hit affected him. Sad to see it end the way it did.

 

Joshua did not look very good in the Takam fight, Povetkin beat Takam, knocked him out. Joshua could not knock Takam out, had to depend on a corrupt referee to stop the fight for no reason, if not, the fight would have gone 12 rounds! Fans were cheated by the damned corrupt referee!

 

Swings and roundabouts to a certain extent. Povetkin obviously finished Takam decisively, but he also lost plenty of rounds and the fight was dead even after 8. Joshua never looked in trouble and was well ahead on the cards.

 

7/10. He never looked in trouble and won convincingly against a top 20 guy. However, he looked slow and sloppy at times, and was fortunate with the stoppage.

Personally I think it would be a good thing for him if he went the distance and lost the 100% KO record. This seemed to be playing on his mind during the fight.

 

Agree with this, I think he's so keen to keep his 100% ko ratio going that he could leave himself wide open after he gasses out trying to get the KO.

 

I thought it was a poor performance and exposed his limitations as a boxer, as well as his power.
I think he loses to the likes of Wilder, maybe even Parker, Povetkin etc if they take him past round 6 as he clearly has stamina issues. I know he finished WK and Takam after the 6th but he was blowing in both fights!
On that note, Fury beats him comfortable, his footwork and movement would be far too good for AJ, who only moves in straight lines and has no head movement!

 

7/10

I was going to give him a 6 but then thought.. AJ dropped Takam, won every round and regardless of the rights and wrongs got a stoppage victory

What would he have to do to get a 10?

Joshua just didn't look as good as he has done before or I thought he would.

He neglected the jab, loaded up too often and just looked a little raggedy but I have to take in to account the late change of opponent, Joshua was being drilled in the gym for weeks and weeks for a completely different type of fight, that may well have had some sort of effect.

Also his nose, I still have checked if it was actually broken but it looked like it was and that is another new experience for him that he dealt with well in the end.


Bottom line is he had a few little things to get over and he did, he got the W and didn't do much wrong, it just wasn't as exciting, entertaining and explosive as the Klitschko fight and so it left me feeling flat.

 

Some good points. I've always thought Furys unorthodox style and movement give AJ fits...IF Fury could get back to shape (i don't see him doing tbh) his volume punching and movement will see if beat AJ on points.

He does have stamina issues he's too muscle-bound anyone can see that but he beats Wilder 8 out 10. Wilders speed and power give him a chance but AJ's the better boxer, throws tight better combinations and he can get up when cracked. Wilder has been rocked by Nobodies with limited power if AJ landed that uppercut Molina did Wilder would get finished no question. Parker has looked awful in his last two fights so giving up height reach and power i still have to favor Joshua. Povetkin is the interesting one, but will he age out at 38 with a couple of drugs busts behind him, he could be a hard sell. Miller could be an interesting one as and when he steps up to true world class. be interesting to see how he develops.

 

Have just rewatched this at home minus alcohol. It was a one sided beatdown. Takam was in danger of being seriously hurt (as Carl Froch would say). He had lost every round and was pawing at that cut. Admittedly AJ was slowing but Takam had taken enough punishment and was on the verge of getting sparked.

AJ was right in the post fight interview, he cant control the actions of the referee. Easy to get caught up in the romanticism of the underdog coming back but suggestions this was a Matchroom stoppage are ludicrous.

LOL at the Eddie Hearn boo's.