Watching the replay, Joshua tried to implement the same strategy that Bellew adopted against Usyk. He also seemed very gun shy and like Bellew Joshua simply run out of gas due to the pace set and maintained by Usyk. Joshua had successes and Usyk is hittable and was quite marked up at the end of the fight. I'd actually favour Wilder to spark him at some point in a 12 round fight and Fury would handle him very easily.
Needs more vaierty, and more aggression keeping it straight and at range like he did VS Ruiz was never going to be the total answer here. For me be more aggressive early, hold and hit, push Usyk let him feel some physicality. Utilize the straight punches to keep him in the fight and then in the mid rounds go for it. Combinations and variety and really go try hit Usyk not just touch him. Usyk slowed down a touch in rounds 5 & 6. Maybe AJ got to him or he was taking a breather but at the point Joshua has to be positive and put his shots together. He might knacker himself out and get stopped but he isn't out boxing the more agile, better condition fighter over 12 as we have seen and Usyk was close to taking him out anyway. If he can do more damage in the middle rounds maybe Usyk can't produce that kind of 12th round assault. Will be interesting to see if AJ can make some adjustments or weather it's just talk. Ruiz gave him a pass by coming in so lardy but even then anytime Joshua tried to hook with him he got cought clean by someone with fast hands and good technique.
Body shots would be key as well in a rematch, watched a few rounds of the fight last last night and around the 6th round AJ stepped in with a couple of big right uppercuts to Usyk's mid section and believe me OU felt it, slowed him down for a bit and stopped the constant movement but AJ for whatever reason didn't sustain it. There are things Joshua can do differently in a rematch for sure but I just feel Usyk whatever AJ does after a brief shock OU will find an answer and take over again.
Unless Usyk gets old in the next year or so I have real doubts that AJ can fare any better in the return. Getting a game plan for the Ruiz wasn’t exactly rocket science I.e. keep it long and keep your chin out of harms way plus Ruiz’s lack of discipline greatly helped , is one thing , devising a game plan for Usyk is a different kettle of fish. I think everyone and their dog agrees that AJ has to put the pressure on and he does but I don’t think he has those type of attributes to maintain a war of attrition required to beat Usyk . I think most when analysing AJ’s consider his stamina/cardio/endurance to be suspect , yes he has won fights over 12 rounds but that was when he was able to dictate the pace . Before the fight on Saturday Sky put up some interesting statistics in reference to AJ and Usyk’s punch output .AJ was 33 per round whilst Usyk was 53 per round interesting Usyk at cruiser weight was 66. OK I agree that this is a very basic comparison as there are other factors but as we saw Saturday Usyk can handle the pace better. Also for all of AJ’s pro and most of his amateur career he has been at Sheffield which is the centre of excellence for most GB athletes so AJ has benefited from the best sports science the UK has so I feel that at 31 unless someone has a magic wand his Physical capacity is pretty much as good as can be. Next and perhaps a bit more contentious is the chin department and it’s perhaps an overstatement to say that AJ is chinny as he has only been on canvas with Wlad and Ruiz as a pro although there are a lot of rumours about being floored in training. Nevertheless it is an area of concern. So we know that AJ can’t outbox Usyk so he needs to get “steamed into him” and hope his chin and conditioning holds out ? Last person I know that resorted to those type of tactics was General Custer at the battle of the little big horn.
Usyk probably could have stopped joshua mid rounds if he wanted too but was told not too and box , I honestly think we only saw 70 percent max of what usyk was capable of. He could have stopped him last round as well if that combo started 10 seconds early!! Yes aj may be able to fight better but I don't believe he will ever have enough to beat usyk who will probably be looking for the stoppage in the rematch and will have improved even more by the time of the rematch which is a scary thought AJ can't beat usyk it's as simple as That!!!!
Is PBC the only promotional company matchroom had issues with? Other than Wilder, AJ and Matchroom seem to get fights made with little issues. For all those who were so adamant that usuyk was being screwed having to agree to rematch Joshua from these two fights he must be making more money than he would likely have made having 5 fights as well as the opportunity to become world heavyweight champion and beat AJ twice. Good job he has a smart manager and not taking advice from the Internet.
Yeah very true, it's easy saying AJ can do better however nobody would bet against Usyk improving. Dedicated special fighter who's only had 3 fights at the weight. Heavys peak much later.
Eddie did make AJ v Fury. Tyson Fury even announced it. https://www.si.com/boxing/2021/05/1...s-anthony-joshua-fight-august-14-saudi-arabia
As the article you have linked states: "However, the boxer's American promoter, Bob Arum, said the fight has yet to be confirmed as the two sides wait on the final contracts"
I guess you are using 'make' to mean 'all parties signed and the fight happened'. I am using 'make' in this case to mean 'presented a mutually agreeable deal that was killed by the outcome of an arbitration'. It was the Wilder arbitration that killed the Fury fight, not Hearn, as it seemed you were implying.
I was replying to a post about how Matchroom make fights without little issues. This one wasn't made.
I rewatched the Joshua Vs Ruiz 2 fight again this evening, and Joshua was a lot less impressive than I remember on the night. First time I've watched it since. The warning signs were there, Ruiz rattled him a few times and hadn't trained one bit. Uzyk shouldn't have any bother in a rematch.
When Tyson Fury the non matchroom fighter says its done then I'll take it as done. He would only do that if his management company told him it was done. Why else would Fury announce the fight was on? In regard to Arums comments remember he said: 3 weeks later Fury announced the fight was on. You can't take anything Arum says as serious. He talks **** and was simply salty that the fight got made without him. The only fight for AJ matchroom couldn't get done was the Wilder fight which looks like an outlier as they haven't had such issues with any other opponent.
