Just coming away from the subject of who has better resume’s etc. Genuine question, and I’m trying to to put this forward as a balanced question and certainly not a criticism...Where do people think Joshua is at right now?...What I mean by that is that he’s come back and avenged his loss, he used his natural attributes to negate Ruiz and won by a very comfortable margin. He’s got his belts back and all is good in that respect. However, do people think Joshua’s confidence level will be back to pre June 1st levels? What I saw last night (honestly not being intentionally negative) was a fighter who was frightened of getting caught in any kind of exchange on the inside. He stiffened up both the times that Andy eventually found him. As I said on another thread, I don’t think he’s glass chinned but it’s clear that he’s not confident in his chin. At the moment, he’s the champ again and the huge positives are that he’s shown to himself and everyone else that he’s adaptable, got the stamina & composure to stick to a game plan. i suppose the question is, is it onwards and upwards for Joshua or are there self doubts from him (and the other heavyweights) regarding his own chin and power? I suppose we’ll find out in his next fight but would enjoy reading other posters opinions.
Good question. I wonder if there are big echoes of Lewis here. Lost and stopped against an unheralded opponent he was meant to beat. Question marks existed about his chin for years, which were amplified when he fought and was stopped against Rahman. The odd thing though is nobody pointed out that he was hit by seriously massive punchers like Tua, Briggs and Bruno without being budged. I’m sure Joshua is cautious, but I don’t see it being something that he’ll necessarily impede him.
Ultimately what will define him is if he steps up to fight the best. It wont be a good look If he ducks Usyk, Fury and Wilder and the upcoming WBO mandatory will give us a good indication of intent. I would have thought they will be looking at Pulev, a Whyte/Chisora type and then the big cash out. Fury and Wilder will be licking their lips watching that last night as will the growing chasing pack of young guns Hrgovic, Dubois, Hunter etc. His legacy can only be salvaged with careful matchmaking from here on.
It’s hard to say really but it is a fair question. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt in the snooze fest as his career was on the line so I suppose winning was key. I would have him rated 3rd at heavy now, if he fights that timid vs Wilder he would get KO’d but Wilder needs a certain distance to generate the power so a close range fight would suit him better. He does look vulnerable now. Every fighter thinks if they put it on him they’ve half a chance which isn’t ideal for him.
I feel like he’s a naturally very confident person anyway, and the win will only increase that. I always felt that if he won the rematch the loss in the first fight would be the best thing that ever happened to him. Last night’s performance showed that he now has a number of different ways to win fights in the future and is a bigger threat to the rest of the division than ever before. At the very least it made the ‘big stiff robot’ brigade look more stupid than ever.
AJ's general mentality changed after the Wlad fight. AJ has become a more cautious and cagey fighter. I'd say AJ has displayed a higher ring IQ since with his performances aginst Parker, Povetkin and Ruiz 2. I believe AJ will go back to a more offensive fighter of old if hes put against more tehcnical fighters with non knockout power such as Pulev and Fury. How AJ would treat another high pressure quick handed fighter again such as Hunter will be interesting. AJ should probably show him respect and fight a more technical fight like he did against Parker, Povetkin and Ruiz 2. AJ should adapt to what style he believes is best to whatever opponent his put against. Unlike Fury or Wilder who only have a plan A, AJ can adapt a fight a varoius different ways, certainly the most well rounded and complete fighter of the 3.
I think he lost confidence in his chin after the Wlad fight to be honest, before that fight he had just a seek and destroy mentality, ever since the Wlad right hand Joshua has fought much safer until the first ruiz fight. Look at his fights with Takam Parker and Povetkin. he only opened up after he hurt Povetkin. I think he's at the stage where going forward this is what we'll see, a boring version.
Still gets schooled by fury, still gets switched off by wilder. Still looks good against tier two/three fodder. took two attempts to do what Joey twelve Parker already did a few years ago to a fitter version of Ruiz
He has been quoted multiple times since Vlad and the theme was always the same "If it's a war every time then I don't want it". Which I suppose is fair enough. If every job I completed wrung me out like a dishcloth, I wouldn't be happy either. Sometimes I just want an easy one. I don't believe he was scared, as such. I can't remember when it was - maybe a couple years ago when he did that Bear Grylls thing and had to shimmy across a rope 200 foot above the sea and he did it. That takes bollocks, as tough as anyone thinks they are and even with a safety rope. There is nothing wrong with team AJ recognising Andy's superior firepower and training to evade it. On one hand it shows the team are thinking and that AJ can adapt but on the other his powerhouse persona has vanished. Taking nothing away from AJ and the plan (and Andy's stupid weight gain aside), am not sure where this puts Joshua. He remains a bit of an enigma.
Yeah. I don’t think a lot has changed in the grand scheme of things. He still hasn’t been knocked unconscious so I don’t think his chin is that bad, it’s just more apparent to him that anyone can be stopped by anyone at heavyweight and one stupid mistake can result in a loss. I don’t think he’ll underestimate an opponent again. I hope he doesn’t become Wlad and maintains that killer instinct but in an educated way. To be fair he’s done that in most fights since Wlad. Work them out, break them down and then boom. Personally I’d still rate him top of the heavyweight tree. His resume has the most depth. Fury has the single best win (or two of you count wilder). Wilder has largely fought C level fighters and got a gift draw against Fury. That doesn’t mean I think he beats both though. I think he’d have to knock Wilder out before he gets caught himself. Not convinced he can avoid being caught clean. I can see how he’d beat Fury but I think it’s come down to who is stronger and how honest Fury can keep him.
He's on the throne, at the head of the table,enjoying the sweet fruits and rich meats afforded to kings.once he's finished his vassals will be dining on his scraps.If the pretender deontay wilder actually grows a pair he will get another chance to be King! Don't make the same mistake twice though deontay coz you might not get a third.
I think he'll adopt last night's tactics in all fights moving forward and it will most likely work against the B-level heavyweights he'll be fighting for the next year or two. The real question mark is whether it will work against the top guys such as Wilder, Fury and Usyk but if those fights never happen, his legacy will be severely tarnished. Similarly for Fury and Wilder, the fights between them all will define them.
His legacy is already tarnished after being battered by a small FATTY in New York. Going forward, he will fight puddings such as Ortiz, Pulev, Chisora etc and stay away from any real challenges from Usyk, Wilder, Fury, Dubois, Joyce, Bakole types. Will retire with a CV full of puddings, Old Wlad and a beating from a little Fatty in New York. Then sail off into the sunset with the PPV Loot laughing with Eh Day about how they could get the public to pay for smelling their own shyte.
