AJ: "Wladmir was my Toughest Opponent"

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by RJJFan, May 20, 2022.


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  1. RJJFan

    RJJFan Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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    From the scene.

    Anthony Joshua Tabs Wladimir Klitschko as Toughest Opponent To Date

    BY ******* STAFF
    Published Fri May 20, 2022, 04:09 PM EDT
    45 comments
    Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua recently reflected on his career and tabbed a Ukrainian boxer as being his toughest opponent to date.

    But it wasn't Oleksandr Usyk.

    Joshua said Usyk's countryman, Wladimir Klitschko, was his toughest foe in the ring.

    Back in 2017, Joshua secured his career defining win with an eleventh round stoppage of Klitschko. It was a unexpected war where both boxers were on the floor. The end came when Joshua scored two knockdowns to stop Klitschko in round eleven. A massive crowd of 90,000 packed Wembley Stadium in London to watch the action unfold.

    It was the final fight for Klitschko, who retired from boxing later that year.

    Last September, Joshua was outboxed over twelve rounds by Usyk, who walked away with the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight belts.

    "The hardest opponent I have come up against would be Wladimir Klitschko definitely," Joshua said during a Q&A with Oxford Union. "The passing of the guard. The young lion vs the old lion. At the time I fought him I thought it was definitely too early but it was his last fight.

    "So if I didn't fight him then it would have been too late, so it was risk vs reward and I thought boxing needed it. Sometimes due to a lack of experience we make it harder than it sometimes need to be. He had definitely more knockouts on his record than I have fights and knockouts combined. He is experienced and very strong and it was a tough fight. Before that stage I was knocking guys out within six rounds and seven rounds. Wladimir took me eleven rounds somewhere I had never been before but he was my toughest for sure."

    A rematch with Uysk is targeted for July 23rd in the Middle East. Joshua was stopped by Andy Ruiz in 2019, but bounced back with a wide decision in their rematch six months later.
     
    RJJFan, May 20, 2022
    RJJFan, May 20, 2022
    #1
    JunlongXiFan likes this.
  2. MarkusFlorez99

    MarkusFlorez99 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    But how ? Ruiz and Usyk beat him.
     
    MarkusFlorez99, May 20, 2022
    MarkusFlorez99, May 20, 2022
    #2
    mark ant, cross_trainer, Ph33rknot and 4 others like this.
  3. Kishnabe

    Kishnabe Member Full Member

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    AJ still not recovered from the Usyk shackling.
     
    Kishnabe, May 20, 2022
    Kishnabe, May 20, 2022
    #3
    swagdelfadeel likes this.
  4. Renaldo's Last Stand

    Renaldo's Last Stand Member banned Full Member

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    It's human nature ....most fighters don't give the highest credit to guys that actually beat them.
    Mike Tyson always regarded Razor Ruddock as the hardest puncher he faced....a guy he TKOd and decisioned....not Buster, not Holyfield, not Lewis....Razor Ruddock .

    There is a subconscious need to only admit someone was your toughest challenge if they were someone you overcame...

    I don't know who klotscko considers his best opponent, but I doubt it's AJ or Fury or Sanders...
    My guess is he would say Lamont Brewster or Jameel mccline, someone he actually defeated.

    Zab Judah says Mickey Ward was his toughest fight. Not Cotto, not Mayweather...

    You get my point
     
    Renaldo's Last Stand, May 20, 2022
    Renaldo's Last Stand, May 20, 2022
    #4
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  5. exocet76

    exocet76 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Well the Pudding fight he was clocked and out pretty quickly and Usyk just out skilled him. it's not like he was decked a few times and behind to come back and win. He was too reticent in the Usyk fight too scared at getting ko'd. The fight with Vlad was more of a war.
     
    exocet76, May 20, 2022
    exocet76, May 20, 2022
    #5
    AlwaysFirst and KernowWarrior like this.
  6. On The Money

    On The Money Dangerous Journeyman Full Member

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    Brewster and even Sanders got lucky vs Wlad in my book. A prime version destroys both out them as he does Joshua.
     
    On The Money, May 20, 2022
    On The Money, May 20, 2022
    #6
    kriszhao likes this.
  7. Jennifer Love Hewitt

    Jennifer Love Hewitt Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Nothing lucky about Sanders' win. He completely shut Wlad down.
     
    Jennifer Love Hewitt, May 20, 2022
    Jennifer Love Hewitt, May 20, 2022
    #7
    cross_trainer, West of Hollywood, AlwaysFirst and 4 others like this.
  8. Renaldo's Last Stand

    Renaldo's Last Stand Member banned Full Member

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    P
    It's a double edge sword..
    Prime Wlad was also glass jaw Wlad... When he was at his "best" he was defensive and cautious and avoided scrapping it out at all costs.
    When he did he got knocked out...

    and that happened all throughout his career. As a prospect vs Purity, as the heir apparent vs Sanders, as an established fighter and world champion vs Brewster, and as a seasoned vet vs AJ
     
    Renaldo's Last Stand, May 20, 2022
    Renaldo's Last Stand, May 20, 2022
    #8
    kirk likes this.
  9. PernellSweetPea

    PernellSweetPea Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Hearns did give credit to Hagler and Leonard, saying Hagler was the strongest and Leonard the hardest puncher I think... I will have to look that one up to confirm.. Maybe he said Ray punched harder than Marvin, either way he did say the best he fought was Wilfred Benitez whom he beat. So that was odd.
     
    PernellSweetPea, May 20, 2022
    PernellSweetPea, May 20, 2022
    #9
  10. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    They never pick the guys that beat them.
     
    catchwtboxing, May 20, 2022
    catchwtboxing, May 20, 2022
    #10
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  11. CST80

    CST80 De Omnibus Dubitandum Staff Member

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    I said not long after that match, in his very next outing against Takam, that Wlad ruined him. Then I said it again for the Parker match. It was pretty obvious for all to see, all they had to do was open their eyes. Even in losing, Wlad managed to swallow his soul, and it's been trapped in Wlad's colon like compacted **** ever since. That being said, even an AJ with severely dented confidence, was good enough to beat almost all they put before him, and in no way does this denigrate Usyk's win. Usyk has always been a stylistic nightmare for him, and just about everyone else at Heavyweight. AJ didn't beat Usyk, because Usyk is superior in every possible way, and would always have beaten AJ. So I take AJ saying this the same as Pacquiao saying Margarito, who obliterated his ribs in losing, was a tougher fight than Mayweather. Why? Because he was. Like Sly said about Drago in Creed, that guy broke things in me that ain't never been fixed.
     
    CST80, May 20, 2022
    CST80, May 20, 2022
    #11
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  12. chico g

    chico g Let's watch some Sesame Street...lmao Full Member

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    No Ronnie Coleman was.
     
    chico g, May 21, 2022
    chico g, May 21, 2022
    #12
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  13. It's Ovah

    It's Ovah I am very feel me good. Full Member

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    Who do fighters say Shavers hit them the hardest when they beat him?
     
    It's Ovah, May 21, 2022
    It's Ovah, May 21, 2022
    #13
  14. MarkusFlorez99

    MarkusFlorez99 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Because getting KO'd don't always correlate with raw punching power ? I mean Rahman got KO'd by Maskaev and others yet Rahman took punches from Corrie Sanders and claimed Sanders had crazy power, which is very believable considering Sanders had a brutal left hand, even though he didn't KO Rahman. Its weird right ?
     
    MarkusFlorez99, May 21, 2022
    MarkusFlorez99, May 21, 2022
    #14
  15. DoubleJab666

    DoubleJab666 Dot, dot, dot... Full Member

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    Dude's still in denial. Not a great state of mind for the rematch; how can you face your demons when you deny their reality? Maybe it's not what he really thinks but it's the message he wants to put out there. But his public utterance is wrong. His toughest opponent was Usyk...
     
    DoubleJab666, May 21, 2022
    DoubleJab666, May 21, 2022
    #15
    mark ant, AdamT, Thunderstorm and 1 other person like this.
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