Even though AJ technically just beat a 0-1 boxing novice he still looked good knocking out a guy who has a reputation of being a scary puncher and giving Fury a scare. He also looked quite sharp in his fight with Wallin prior as well. That’s 2 guys that gave Fury a tough fight whom AJ easily dispatched. Do you think AJ seems to have improved his style ever since his 2 losses to Usyk? Or do you think he’s still the same fighter as before?
He improve. Joshua take a lesson. As a person with gigantic ambition he work hard as he can. People laugh when he was angry and weird after Usyk 2 loss. People laugh when he change trainer again and again. But people laugh because they dont understand that he is doing all this stuff because he want be better/best as possible. That's why I choose him over Fury. Because ambition of Joshua is on another level. He want became better and better. And hard work always pays off. You might not have CBum genetics but if You start train after some time You will look much, much better. Fury got gift but he dont care.
Remaining active has evidently helped him, he looked as sharp as I've ever seen him against Wallin and Ngannou. Inactivity ruins boxers. The past two performances of both Joshua and Parker should be a lesson to promoters: KEEP YOUR FIGHTERS ACTIVE.
Both Wallin and Ngannou had the element of surprise against Belly. Wallin wasn't seen as a threat when Belly fought him, whereas, conversely, AJ had fought Wallin twice and sparred over 150 rounds against him and Wallin was a known commodity to the fans too Regardless of what Belly says, he did not take Ngannou seriously. He thought it was going to be a walk in the park and would've been even more confident after seeing Ngannou's terrible pad work. Everyone thought it was going to be a walk in the park for Belly against a big, slow, rank novice with a poor defence who can't even throw or land with a proper right hand against any boxer who has a basic understanding how to defend against it
I think he's just finally found his style and what he's good at. Always been a very good counterpuncher but he hasn't always used his counterpunching to the effect that he has in his last two fights.
He also picked up some nice footwork from Derek James. Joshua tried to be a puncher, then he tried to be a boxer. And he has found his home being a boxer-puncher. And you are spot on with the counterpunching. He has always had a knack for it but seems more reliant on it now. I hope we see him against Hrgovic next. It will be a real test.
He might equal Lennox’s status in the sense that he’ll hold a victory over every fighter that he’s fought. He might equal Holyfield’s record of becoming a three time heavyweight champion. On top of that he might become undisputed which is something Holyfield can’t claim. Joshua isn’t ****ing around, he’s no joke.
Better if only in a mentality sense. When he lost to Ruiz he became a different fighter and second guessed himself too much, wouldn't really step on the gas in his fights anymore and became Wlad level cautious. He switched trainers lost to Usyk and kinda lost the fighter that got him to the top. These last few fights have been nice if not just for the seek and destroy, handle my business mindset he's had. If he takes that mentality into a 3rd Usyk fight he should do even better than his respectable effort the 2nd fight. I think he ices Fury at this point, maybe they'll give him a 40 count to get up though
This should not be overlooked. Even Canelo during when he fought 4 fights in 11 months looked his sharpest. And in contrast guys that’s inactive look rusty when in against a good/elite opponent.