IF AJ beat Rico...

AJ would be seen more as a gatekeeper at this point, if he does that.

 

I think he would get credit (and a massive paycheck). I wouldn't recommend AJ to take the fight because if Rico can outbox Usyk he can outbox AJ. Sure, the element of surprise isn't there, but there would be massive pressure on AJ to beat a non-boxer. AJ should just focus on beating Fury.

 

I was going to vote "no" but I suppose people would look at through the lens of the Usyk fight, as they did his win over Ngannou through that of the Fury fight.

I doubt it does much for him at all though. Might build more interest in his eventual Fury fight. Not sure Joshua would be viewed as a gatekeeper, though, because both Ngannou and Rico ran the World #1 very close. If Fury ends up wanting another tune up, then this might make sense.

 

By the same logic, if Usyk can knock down and hurt Rico, AJ can take his head clean off. If Usyk had AJ’s power, fight would have been over in round 4.

also, some of the things that worked against Usyk wouldn’t likely work against AJ. constantly charging in against a big puncher seems like a bad plan. Trying to grab and bully a guy his own size also seems like a bad plan.

Rico was great and I’d love to see him fight again. I just think he might be a Ken Norton type. Hell against boxers, gonna get hurt by punchers.

 

Idk if AJ makes it look too easy it diminishes the win. If he struggles too much he gets flak

Rico did well but usky can't punch and AJ cam

 

No not at all haha

 

Usyk knocked Rico out.

If AJ manages to do it round two or three, sure I'd give AJ his props, but he's always been a huge puncher, Usyk hasn't.

 

Seems like desperation to give aj extra credit for this

 

And rather optimistic given his recent opposition

 

It's exhausting. They want to give Joshua credit for a list of opponents that make Wilder's run look like Usyk's.

Desperation is the word.

 

I think Rico is gonna be much harder than ngannou.

 

That and...

Just the classic Joshua thing - his fans will make out it's a huge thing that boosts his resume hugely, neutrals will be happy that boxing won properly and haters will slam him for taking the fight at all...
The same pattern as we saw with the Ngannou fight.

In all honesty, it's a lot like that situation in the sense that we just don't really know right now whether Rico could actually potentially be decent, or whether he was underestimated and/or lucky... Being the one to close the book almost guarantees limited credit because it becomes a "no surprise, told you so, etc" kind of situation - but in the moment, it has the potential to be a risky bout.

 

Maybe.

Then again, a lot of people thought Ngannou had the attributes to potentially be a player... Until he lost.

We'll see - if Rico fights a boxer again.

 

i was much more impressed by Rico than Ngannou.