Not sure, but Ruiz should try to get hold of Dubois if he can, and maybe Yoka. Joshua could go with Takam (inside fighting, height) and maybe Parker to emulate handspeed. Could go with Joey Dawejko as well, if he's feeling brave...
Ive been 99% sure of a repeat Ruiz win until yesterday when i saw Ruiz in a video talking about Fury wearing mexican headband, ruiz looked like he was either very drunk or on something. That set alarm bells off for me. Ill still be shocked if Joshua wins, but that video was enough that i wont be putting money on this fight, im not convinced ruiz isnt partying big time since his win.
This is pretty much my stance. I saw some random video of him being a guest reviewer of some pizza joint in New York a few days back. He looked huge and he wasn’t holding back stuffing his face. Looked like he’d been partying pretty hard. Set alarm bells ringing for me.
if Ruiz does what he has done in the past...proper gym work etc. he will win. If he parties continually....probably not. It is similar to people winning the lottery that have never had money before. They go nuts and end up broke. We just don't know. If he trains well..he will kick AJ's ass. AJ has always been what he is. Over rated. If Ruiz continues to screw off...the over rated version of AJ can beat him. The ball is in Ruiz's court. The fight is his to lose.
Yeah, Ruiz gets creamed. He only won because Joshua rushed in recklessly after he had him hurt. He won't make that mistake this time, and the rematch will go just as we all expected the first one to go.
He's in "boats'n'hoes" mode. Someone said here a couple of weeks ago that history doesnt play in his favour. He was totally right.
Although not impossible, I’d have to agree, for someone of Joshua’s size, pushing that cardio up to a point where he’s not going to gas out late in the fight is a huge ask in 6 months. It could be done just about but it’s unlikely in this case.
Can you name me a fighter in general that went from being gassed to having good stamina? And I'm not talking about fighters who were drained and moved up in weight. I feel like it's just rare to see.
Off the top of my head, no I can’t. And I agree with you it’s incredibly rare. Although I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, if say you were to focus solely on pushing your cardio system for the entirety of that 6 month period, I wouldn’t be surprised it it could be done, but in this case I highly doubt that it’s going to happen.
there is another thing that does not bode well for Joshua. Course I am extrapolating something onto a larger canvas and could be wrong because of it. After having whipped someone's ass, I have never failed to whip it the second time if the second time happened. Joshua is dealing with a massive self doubt and having to change things quickly for the rematch. A lot on the plate. Should have taken another fight or two before the rematch. let some time pass and get his mental state right.
Haha! You may have opened a can of worms with this post. My personal belief, when it comes to the mental state of fighters (or athletes in general really) is it is all down to the individual in question. As in, there is no hard and fast rule that applies to everyone. For example some people may take a loss and that then motivates them more to avenge that loss and they won’t stop until they have done it, where the next person may take that loss and just throw the towel in all together.
JDub....you are right. Every fighter/person is different. However, defeat is the same. It has to be dealt with. Some will take stock, roll with it. They will do the internal and external things and increase their chances in a rematch. That type of individual...my opinion, is the exception and not the rule. Several things in the tea leaves that make this hard to read. Don't know how either fighter will deal with the previous fight. Will AJ...come roaring back better than before. on the other side of the coin...will the success go to Ruiz's head and contribute to overconfidence and a lack of preparation and set the stage for his defeat. Don't know. Can only go by what is known. AJ did not handle adversity well in the first fight. Therefore, am going with Ruiz...although I could be wrong.