AJ says Usyk loss hurt way more than Ruiz. "Against Usyk I was 100% and he was just the better man"

If he can't clip Usyk he'll lose.

Has to go out on his shield and be confident.

If he sulks and crashes again he should retire

 

Yeah, he was 100% and he is in his prime right now.

Best version of AJ was outbox and outwork by Usyk

BUT he can't do anything about it, by his words he needs 4 more rounds to win in the rematch, but I think fight will not go all 12 rounds.

 

Damned if he does damned if he doesn't. If AJ comes off like an ass, like Wilder did then he has no class and can't accept a loss and is a sore loser. If he comes in gives an honest assessment gives a fighter his due and says he lost to the better man while being 100% then he's lying, fake and someone told him to say it. A guy like AJ can never win with someone like you. No matter what he says or doesn't say you'll find fault in it.

 

Mad respect to AJ for saying he lost to the better guy that night.

I do want to comment on the Ruiz fight. Call it unprepared , underestimate , or lucky punch but AJ has never been the same after that first Ruiz fight. Ruiz hurt him and he didn’t like it. Since then he has change how he fights and seems to be overly cautious.

 

What he's actually doing with that is not giving his due to usyk, but taking away his due from ruiz. That night, when AJ quit, the better man won too.

 

This is what separates AJ from so many other fighters. He’s got class and conducts himself like a true professional, not a punk. I remember how he acted after the Ruiz loss. He realized the loss cost him millions of dollars but after the fight he didn’t pout or make excuses. AJ manned up and won the rematch. I became a bigger fan after seeing how honest and professional he was after that fight.

Fast forward, after the Usyk fight both men shook hands and the pictures of Usyk talking with AJ and posing for a few shots was a great reminder of the character both guys possess. Unlike Wilder after the last Fury fight, Browne after getting beaten by Beterbiev or (probably the best example of punk-ism) Teo Lopez embarrassing himself after his loss to Kambosos. Those guys are the opposite of AJ in terms of professionalism.

I’m rooting for Usyk in the rematch because I enjoy his style and usually root for the smaller guy but AJ will always have my respect as a fighter. Win or lose, he’s never a punk. Wish more guys would learn from his example.

 

About the first Ruiz fight, it was only a matter of time before someone caught AJ coming in.

 

You were 100% against Rice Pudding Jr and got splattered and gave up.

 

Always liked AJ. He was once the #1 guy in the division, and is still a clear #3. Classy fella, and I am glad I am a fan.

 

I agree with that AJ statement.

I thought AJ boxed well, it was just the wrong tactic against a superior boxer with superior skills. He chose the hardest way tacticaly to try to win TBH.

I also thought AJ's gas tank had improved too. He was level with Usyk's gas tank upto and including the 11th round.

There was no shame in that loss.


I'm really looking forward to the rematch

 

Certainly has a flair for the obvious. I'll give him that.

 

Basically. This guy is the most unfairly hated fighter I've ever seen. Scripted or not, there's nothing out there egregious about the man except apparently racist remarks he made ages ago and allegations that he sold weed (woah, weed!).

There's so much worse in boxing. But I've grown to accept it. This board just hates AJ's gut.

 

I commend him for aggressively going for the finish but he should have kept looking for straight punches. He was landing some monster straight punches on Ruiz. He ducked down to Ruiz' level and got close and started hooking. Ruiz has shorter arms and got him first. Ruiz was a bit lucky and was schooled easily in the second fight. He was overrated to high heaven by the usual suspects that couldn't see what had happened.

 

Why won't AJ concede the better man won in the Ruiz 1 match also?

After all Ruiz victory in the first fight was vastly more impressive than AJs victory in the second fight, AJ knows the only reason he won the second fight is because Ruiz was out of shape.

Actually he was out of shape the first time around, just even more so the second.

Always was a sore loser AJ