POLL - Joshua vs Pulev , Your Pick 'n Predict

It takes a lot of courage to enter the ring with Joshua, given that Pulev has shown nothing special in previous fights, Joshua will flatten him within 6 rounds...

 

joshua ko. Pulev not bad but his defense is way too leaky. Josh just cant miss him

 

Most likely Joshua stops him around the 4th or 5th.

 

I'm going to have to go in on Pulev's team for not making much progress in the fights since Wlad. For someone with his amateur and pro experience he's so basic it's unbelievable. I get that he has that old school Eastern European boxing style that can be effective, especially in the amateurs but can also get you damn near decapitated if you don't move your head.

Pulev has his chin raised in the air almost looking down on his opponent, and sometime raises it even more as he goes in with jabs. Another thing with his upright style is that he moves his hands around trying to parry and block, but he keeps his hands too far forward away from his face. As Wlad wound from the ground with one of the vicious hooks he clocked Pulev, who stuck both his hands forward to parry, WTF? Another monster hook later in the fight, Wlad had his left by his thigh and came all the way around to clock him, Pulev didn't even react. Any decent pro fighter would pick up on these cues and prepare to block or step away.

Pulev also doesn't use his feet properly to step away from punches, and stays in range doing nothing. That's why he's a sucker for straight rights like Wlad's an AJ's.

What's his plan, to jab AJ to a decision? I don't see it. Pulev said he's very hungry to become the first Bulgarian HW champ, so he has to show it. He has one of the best jab in the business, is strong, can take a punch, and has good stamina. He can't let AJ be first, he has to follow jabs with strong combos, and hooks, and move away.

Make the age disadvantage be in your favor if AJ is underestimating you like he did Ruiz, because Ruiz was overweight. My AJ have flashbacks of his first Ruiz fight.

Seeing how Pulev hasn't made any serious improvements, and hasn't added and wrinkles to his game although he has boxed for decades, leads me to pick AJ. All the flaws exposed on Pulev in the Wlad fight fall right into what AJ does best. I hope that I'm wrong and Pulev fights smart, with more assertiveness and strategy. Put your chin down, keep your gloves close to your face, don't leave the jab out there. Move your head and feet, react to winding punches, throw double jabs and follow with crisp rights and hooks. Lastly, I hope he's ready for a lot of movement and counters from AJ.

 

Well written. You know your stuff. Pulevs boxing IQ is not very good. Only chance i see for pulev is when he gets knocked down, and he will get knocked down for sure. If hes not too hurt and aj gets in way too agressive thinking pulev is done, pulev will have a short window of opportunity to counter him cause pulev is a proud man and will go down swinging, he has that dog in him when it counts even though it will get him knocked out like against Klitschko he will try regardless

 

Very good breakdown.

All Pulev really has is a jab, and he's actually regressed since his loss to Klitschko. Where he used to be at least somewhat sharp and vicious with his combinations now his style's no more than a poor imitation of Wlad's jab n' grab routine that, along with his godawful level of competition, has seen him remain undefeated till now. His jab though is still fast and somewhat snappy, and he knows how to use it to win fights (has to really seeing as he has so few other tools).

You're right though; for someone with so much experience he's as basic as they come. Not surface level basic like Joyce, but genuinely basic. Hardly any nuances to his game at all. Just bouncing about with that arms out chin in the air stance spamming endless jabs till his opponent gets into his wheelhouse where he desperately ties them up till the referee breaks them up. A fighter of Joshua's ability should have no problem smashing him to bits at this point.

 

I'm pretty sure Ali was knocked down like three times before facing Liston.

 

Eastern euro does teach head movement etc.
Looks that he does have some specific habits.

 

Joshi stops this version of Pulev in 8.

Time to make Joshi vs Fury or Usyk happen!

 

Predictable match outcome. old and small vs young large lion.

A.J needs quickly fight Fury, Usyk and maybe Wilder and Ruiz III fight.

 

1. Joshua mid rounds stoppage, might go late because all Pulev has on Joshua is the jab and that ain't gonna keep Joshua off for 12 round, Joshua needs to jab to the body, not to outjab him, but use the jab to set up combinations and force it on Pulev and counter his jab consistently and he will inevitably get to Pulev, the lead left hook is a good weapon for Joshua, he won't KO him with it because he doesn't jump in with like Klitschko, he steps in with it, he should keep jabbing and occasionally do that lead left hook and follow up behind it with the right hand and combinations, the reason Pulev is open for the left hook is because he is a range fighter, he parrys, but puts his hands out too much when you jab, so get him to think you are going to jab, get his hands out and he is there to be hit with the left hook, the hands out defense works against shorter fighters, because they can't reach you with the left kook, it is actually a good defense for the left hook against a shorter fighter, but it is terrible to do against taller fighters because they can just reach right over it with the hook, the only way Joshua loses is if he jabs with Pulev for the 12 round which he ain't gonna do, Pulev also likes to fight at his own pace especially now he is 39 years old which is also another reason Joshua should put it on him and Pulev isn't much of a puncher

 

Just don't see how Pulev wins this one. Think you need to have very good power, or excellent movement to beat AJ and Pulev has neither. AJ within 5.

 

Nope.