Why was AJ's preparation and tactics so bad? He could/should have won!

Maybe his reflexes have gone?
I mean how could he not see Dubois telegraphed right hand that put him over in the first round?

 

Yeah, it was an unusual how he didn’t react as the punch was arcing towards him. It’s probably a long standing weakness of his though, in that he is vulnerable in the pocket when he’s throwing, as he leaves his chin open and his instinctive reactions aren’t the best.

He seems to be one of those fighters who can avoid punches that he has planned for. He had the right hand scouted for the second Ruiz fight, and for the most part avoided the dangerous left hook Wlad flattened Pulev with. When he got nailed by Ruiz in the first fight and wobbled by Whyte they were short punches on the inside while he was bombing away.

Whatever Joshua’s game plan and preparation was, it went out of the window when Dubois took the centre of the ring in the first 20 seconds and started bullying him. He hadn’t settled by the time he got nailed at the end of the first, and then it was survival mode for the most part.

 

AJ has not fought an opponent who went after him in a long time. They usually keep their distance and that includes Usyk. Maybe he was expecting that kind of fight.

DDD went straight at him and closed the distance quickly. During the first knockdown, AJ completely misjudged the distance and got clipped by the right hand. He was not prepared for it at all. He thought DDD would reset and he was safe, but DDD winged a right hand and surprised him.

 

He looked good vs MMA fighter, Helenius who had 7 days notice, and finally Wallin.

Wallin was a solid win but Dubois is the first real dangerous opponent Joshua has fought since Usyk. I feel like Joshua’s recent performances against over matched opponents flattered him honestly.

 

AJ is not particularly fast. He is also tentative and keeps his hands low. This is death sentence against swarmers. He paid the price. He is a poor man's version of Wlad Klitchko. Wlad had the same flaws but then rebuilt after Sanders fight to master jab and clinch. AJ never did.

 

Been saying this aj fights very similar to young Klitschko and he also has a weak chin too along with the suspect gas tank. He will never get past this point because his iq is too low to make adjustments

 

Dubois did what I thought he needed to do .Joshua can box, but Dubois came after him and made him fight!

 

Joshua looked good against weaker opponents, Franklin and Wallin didn't even have a punchers chance and Ngannou doesn't know how to box, Dubois as an elite fighter knocked out Joshua so now we really saw how limited he really is...

 

I think it was more a case of Dubois preparing for this fight like a man on a mission and coming into the ring with the perfect gameplan to defeat Joshua. People are giving AJ too much credit and unjustly discrediting Dubois when they put it all down to AJ being shot or ill prepared. Everyone in Joshua’s camp has been banging on about how he’s a new man, this new Joshua beats anyone, the killer instinct is back etc. He must have looked good in camp for them to be projecting that kind of genuine confidence. It’s possible that Dubois has learned a lot over the course of his last 4 or 5 fights, and has improved a lot as a result.

 

AJ can have as many tactics as he wants, Dubois ultimately knows very well he can hurt him very badly, he will go for the ko with even more confidence and AJ's chin will not cope

 

Dubois landed 30 out of 100 jabs, Joshua landed 18 out of 82. The numbers can’t tell you what the film does…Daniel’s jab was much harder and hurtful than AJ’s. How was AJ supposed to “box smart” when he can’t fight the guy OR box him?

In fact, I’d say Daniels jabs, which were visibly snapping Joshua’s head back, is what led to AJ falling apart and getting caught with that looping right hand.

I know yould like to believe Joshua just made a tactical error and is still the better fighter, but man, that is NOT what the tape says at all.

 

When you have a wafer chin and face a hard hitter who improved in a short time his defensive skills there are no preparation and tactics that can hold.