Why didn’t AJ invest in the body more?

Joshua doesn't have the gas tank to consistently land combinations for all the twelve rounds of the fight. How many times have we seen him gas for an entire fight after launching a combo for 15-20 seconds in a round.

He understands his limitations and knows he can't be breathing heavy with a quality operator. This combined with the fact that you don't have the balls to eat some to land some of your work because you know you don't have the chin to last. Very bad combination

 

He did go to the body a lot. You saw the game plan starting in round 1 and he attacked Uysk's body thorough the fight.

Whenever they were in close range, he went to the body. It's harder to land body punches from mid-long range. If you miss, you can get countered and AJ didn't want to take that risk. He may have gotten the stoppage if he took more risks.

He had Usyk hurt in round 9 and he couldn't follow up. When Usyk landed that check-hook in the beginning of the 10, he went on the defensive and forgot about the body.

 

He doesn't have the stamina or the decline necessary to follow the game plan.

 

When I read post like this it makes me laugh cause it comes off as if Usyk won because Joshua let him. The reason he couldn't land the body punches had a lot to do with what Usyk was doing. The constant movement and punches from all angle played a large part in him not being able to go to the body.

 

Did you actually watch the fight, Mr IQ?

 

I though it had to be sarcasm.

 

In total fairness to Joshua, for as big of an ass as he made of himself since the final bell, he'd spent eleven months listening to everybody and their mothers saying he needed to rough Usyk up, get dirty, drag him into a dogfight, et cetera. That kind of fight is not typically his forte.

 

Shouldn't he have done it (using rough tactics) from round one then? My recollection of the fight is that he started doing it as he got tired (and Usyk still seemed relatively unfazed) and before that fought a good (even though not as good as he needed to to win) clean fight?

 

Because that was the business end of the fight, as he and his camp gameplanned it. Contrary to speculation that they would look to bomb Usyk out inside six, Joshua and his team were evidently contriving to compete in the first half of the bout and then pour it on down the stretch. His offense in general picked up considerably in rounds 7–12.

I repeat that dark arts are not Joshua's forte, which goes some way to explaining why his attempts to implement them ('rough him up') were so awkwardly conspicuous.

 

Not at first, he adapted his blocking as the fight went on.

 

Cant reall say he didn’t take advantage it was more so he punched himself out.. Gotta realize he’s not used to that fighting style so he don’t know how to be economical with his punches. Kinda reminded me of the first 2-3 rds of Wilder Fury 3. Wilder had a good gameplan in going to Fury’s body but he tired out quickly doing so and had to abandon his approach.

 

This content is protected

Can'thony did invest in the body.

He just doesn't have the precision and power of Inoue to make them matter.

 

You might be right, and even though it's not the best plan (given the gas tank) it might be his only hope beating Usyk. To get rid of him in round 7-9. If he don't succeed it doesn't matter that the energy is gone since he'll lose on points anyway.

Maybe that what the "I'm not a 12 round fighter" was getting at. That he did his best for 24 rounds (given his abilities), but still can't win against Usyk?

 

Yeah, I thought he did really well to handle the pace.

I guess throwing everything at Usyk in the first half and trying to overwhelm him to a KO was a scenario he didn't want to entertain, given the certain outcome of being stopped if Usyk could withstand and outlast the storm.

 

And in the first half Usyk with his footwork and speed isn't easy to catch if he'd want to stay away and not trade.

I though AJ fought a good fight, and as I said probably can't do it any better (and no shame in that, after all he is (was?) top 3 in the world). Just sad to see his dirty tactics, especially since he didn't execute it very good or with any real conviction (he had the body language of a small kid doing something illegal) he could've left that out. But I understand if was out of desperation just as the complete meltdown after the fight was. The ref should've stepped in and given him a standing count before handing him the mic. I doubt he'd be allowed to continue.