Joshua: Passion...

To say AJ needs a break is stupid, he fights once every 6 months. Back in the day you was fighting 4-5 times a year.

The only break he needs is away from advertisements and cameras instead of using his name and looks to swell an already very healthy bank account.

Not criticising that, if you can get the money do it. But if it’s effecting your in ring performance you need to see what’s more important.

Is his passion money or fighting? At the minute I couldn’t tell you, nor could anyone, other than AJ himself.

 

I have a BA Honours in amateur psychology, & I didn’t see anything to suggest he will lack passion for Ruiz II.

 

I think he is referring to Spencer Fearon. He was feeding Joshua that nonsense doing his big daddy act in the Ruiz aftermath.

 

I think we’re gonna see a well motivated animal next time around. Think he will smash the return imo just can’t see him losing.

 

I don't doubt he has unbelievable amount of talent to get to the position he is and the resume he possesses is impressive with some top fighters listed but you can't help but feel that he is there because he was put there. He isn't his own man. His personality is similar to his boxing style, very robotic. It's almost as if he has learnt his lines before speaking to press.
I feel like his presence has brought a lot to the heavyweight division in past few years and especially british boxing but I just can't pull myself round to getting behind him because I never feel like its him talking when he's doing an interview. I feel like Eddie Hearn is stood behind him moving his mouth.

 

How the hell can you not have passion for a chance to batter someone who has just battered you.... my brain can’t comprehend this. Surely that should ignite fire in you to show him and in this case the whole ****ing planet that he’s the top dog.

I can accept it if he lost the passion prior to fighting ‘some fat mexican’ but not now.

 

Personally I think the passion comment from him was used to subtly back up a few of the excuses made for him, without him explicitly saying “I wasn’t right that night”. Probably not a popular opinion but he looked fine knocking Ruiz down before he got caught himself. I agree he looked a bit shifty before the fight but he was out of his usual comfort zone, so not really a surprise. If he won 3rd round KO no one would mention the “neck massage”.

 

He'll be up for this come fight night.

 

I really don’t think he wants to box anymore. I know it was a different level of opposition but look at the Kevin Johnson fight, he was a completely different animal, looked like he wanted to completely wreck the guy.

Even the Dillian Whyte fight, he stuck in there when he was gassed and got a 2nd wind, then you could see the passion when he finally got the KO. He changed after the Klitschko fight imo, he got hurt again and gassed out but once again got a 2nd wind and managed to get the KO. His face after that fight was completely different to when he won against whyte, he’d had to go through the same thing again and looked like he’d had enough of boxing to me.

I honestly don’t think he cares about boxing anymore, I actually thought he’d retire after the Ruiz fight, he kissed the ring canvas after the fight like he was saying goodbye or something. Only AJ truly knows how he feels though, I hope he gets the desire back.

 

I think people read too much into things like this.

 

He's got a huge entourage. Inevitable really, but must keep you questioning which ones have genuine intentions and which want a piece of your reflected glory.

I remember Steve Bunce commenting on this in contrast to Fury who keeps a very small team around him with no hangers-on. Dillian Whyte is another one with a small and close-knit team.

 

Yes, that was when he made that statement shortly afterwards which was something like "Why should I have to go through a war in every fight? If it's like that for every fight then I don't want it".

I'll try to dig out the exact quote. There was also the business with him not wanting to go to the US and you'll find old videos of Eddie saying AJ asked him why they needed the US as he was happy to stay in the UK.

 

Great post, the other thing to take note of was AJ was thrown in quickly due to the nature of the belts being available just by fighting Martin. AJ believed his own hype, the money he was making at the most crucial point in his career was insane. This in turn with winning the belts woulda no doubt by the sound of things diminished his hunger. From Martin onwards AJ has being fighting to bring in the mega bucks and make him a celebrity whilst still fresh in his career instead of knuckling down and perfecting his craft. This was all the point where he would have been learning the most and giving him foundation to carry forward.

Now he has gotten to a point where his skill level aint where it really should be, sure he can still come in like a monster and he is a physical specimen and deal with most people. However he has struggled to deal with negative guys who wanna be smart in there with him and take no risks and at the same time help him out when he gets into trouble.

He has lacked the hunger and desire to perfect his game at the most crucial part, I think he should take time out and "find himself" if he is about the boxing then spend that time working on his craft, be that 8-10 months, no fights just learning. I highly doubt that is gonna be the case though and he is more than happy to take what money he can (it will be still substantial) and bow out the game a very rich man, he will not however be as good a fighter as he could have been.

 

What surprised me most was his reaction to the adversity in the Ruiz fight. We saw a few glimpses of a nastier side in his earlier fights. Some spiteful punches, and a few questionable shots when his opponents were down etc.

I didn't quite expect Mike Tyson, but I really thought we would see something more of a street-fighter in that situation, maybe a few docked points or something. It's almost like it was coached out of him at the same time the media and marketing persona was installed.