This content is protected There’s no doubt that going to the body is going to be part of Team AJ’s game plan but as many have said, it’s going to leave him open to counters. I’ve being thinking for a while now that Usyk gets off the floor to win this one late but that AJ will bolster his reputation with a good performance.
I remember all the life leaving AJ's body after Whyte cracked him downstairs with some big shots. It didn't return quickly either ''I'm telling you he was snatching my soul'' --AJ This content is protected
targeting the body favours a someone prepping for a 12 rounder, surely hes got to get him out there quick before he gasses though, usyk will take over in the later rounds no matter how the first go because hes got a better tank, in fact thinking back to the bellew fight he was like a steam engine, getting better and better each round
Megidev hit Usyk's stomach with an elbow. Against Glowacki, Usyk lost his balance. Those 2 weren't because of body shots.
Can AJ hurt Usyk to the body? Yes he's the much bigger man and he could hurt or stop him both and upstairs if he catches him right. But why is Usyk's fight against one of not only the best body punchers in the sport but one of the sport's most devastating punching KO artists Gassiev being conveniently ignored Gassiev is the best body puncher Usyk has fought He'd be the best AJ has fought too (Gassiev>>Whyte) He'd also be the best one Fury and The Dosser have fought too (Fury's a good body puncher but he's no Gassiev in that regard) Chris Arreola “Murat Gassiev – that mother****** hits hard,” heavyweight contender Chris Arreola said of his experience while training with the Russian banger in Big Bear, California. The two worked in the same gym space for their recent training camps. Arreola was preparing for his December 12 showdown with Travis Kauffman, a fight he won by split decision. The final outcome was disputed, but Arreola’s energy at fight’s end was attributed to the work he put in during his time in Big Bear, also crediting Gassiev as one of the fighters who pushed him in the gym. “He caught me in the ribs during one sparring session, I just never been hit like that before,” Arreola admitted. “This was a camp I was already determined to leave as a trim and ready fighter, but I knew I couldn’t half-ass it when he was there. Whenever I saw him in the gym when I arrived, I was like “F***, not that guy again.” But he makes you work in the gym, he makes you a better fighter.” “In a boxing fight the hardest puncher would have to be Vitali Klitschko. He’s just a strong thudding punch,” Arreola said to ES News Reporting. ”In sparring, hands down, by far is Murat [Gassiev]. That man is [the hardest puncher]. That mother [expletive] hits HARD. He hits hard! The thing is I’m sparring him and I see the punch coming and I’m like, ‘NO.’ Boom! The crazy thing about him [Gassiev]; you see it coming. You can’t get out of it, and you get hit and it hurts BAD. That’s with gloves and head gear 18 ounce gloves too,” Arreola said.
You make good points DAalla but Bellew was clearly out of shape and visibly knackered after 6 rounds v Usyk and his punching output wasn't particularly high. I would say that Joshua has improved his stamina significantly in the last few years and managed to stay the course in the last fight so I've no reason to believe that he won't again. He needs to slow down Usyk and body work is a tried and tested means of doing so. Unfortunately, Joshua's body work is not his forte so he has a very tough night ahead of him.
Like a headshot, some take it better than others. Some are like pieces of iron. Body type is no reliable indicator, either, regardless what some may think. That's not to suggest anything about Usyk. Just a statement of truth.
agreed it wasn't the fittest bellew we've ever seen, but i think he was more tired from the thinking, as in trying to stay 1 step ahead of usyk and playing silly mind games, i think thats what wore him down more than the actual boxing. Indeed he did stay the course and hes done a few 12 rounders now but his work rate wasnt particualrly high in the last uysk fight (or the ruiz fight), he needs to be a bit more active if he hopes to win and then we will see how much his stamina has really impoved.
He should target the body as it’s a bigger target than the head. He needs to channel his inner Ike Ibeabuchi or Lennox Lewis with educated pressure fighting a big man’s fight.
This is great insight. Now that AJ has film on Usyk. I'm sure the fact that he couldn't figure Usyk out in the first 12 rounds surely means he will in this fight!
I feel obligated to make a point here: it's not easy for a taller man to hit a smaller man's body. It's pure physics.
