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This ain't gonna last 🙂
like a journalist
AJ boxing skills looking impressive. Ruiz still very dangerous.
Imagine if you’d paid £25 for that! Worst undercard in history, followed by... blah
I did pay for it, enjoyed it. Didn’t watch the undercard.
Was a very impressive boxing’s performance by AJ. Looked very good. Wasn’t explosive, but very professional.
Not very entertaining though ......!
“Thank you God, Eddie Hearn and Barry Hearn”......God is in illustrious company there!
I did pay for it
You wuz mugged.
Not a great fight, but an interesting tactical bout. Ruiz's size and style are just aj's kryptonite, I don't think there is any other way he could have fought that wouldn't have been a massive risk of losing again. He did look a bit afraid as well though, I think he still questions his own chin. I think he has leant that he needs to be a better boxer, and shown he can, but still needs a couple more fights to fully regain the confidence to add to the boxing before taking on Fury or Wilder. If I was either of them I would want him now not later.
I know. Enjoyed the first fight though. Not a fan of AJ, don’t feel he is as humble as he says he is.
But to be fair, he knew he couldn’t get into a close battle with Ruiz, as AJ says, it was the sweet science of boxing. And it really was. For me that made it enjoyable, I didn’t think AJ would have had the skills to change his game plan in the way he did.
I do like Ruiz though, he looks as hard as nails. If they go a third time, Ruiz has it for me.
Booooorrriiiinng. Glad it was a friend who paid for it. Needed some swords or at least the odd kick to the nuts and head butt.
Used to like watching boxing years ago but got fed up with all the hype. Same with lots of sports really.
wow. It was a great fight. What did you expect AJ to do coming from the last fight. He fought like Fury and Klitchko roiled into one. Fury gets praise for jabbing to victory I think for AJ to rewrite his style is mighty impressive.
Proved he’s no “poor man’s Bruno” thats fer sher.
Just saw the news that Joshua won the fight. 😬
Will watch it on Youtbue sometime later ...
Won by points so I guess it was jabbing contest? 🤔
... back to watching Japanese classic samurai movies ...
Won by points so I guess it was jabbing contest? 🤔
wasnt' really a jabbing contest, ruiz just couldn't get by the jab though, so aye kinda. 😆
wasnt’ really a jabbing contest, ruiz just couldn’t get by the jab though, so aye kinda. 😆
It would be silly not to use his long jab advantage to play safe considering this is a rematch. Anyone who can keep Ruiz at a distance will win.
Want to see Joshua fight Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder and if he can beat those two convincingly then he can claim he is the best otherwise he is still not there yet.
MSP's assessment is pretty spot-on for me. Joshua had a job to do and executed his plan almost perfectly. It was never going to be as exciting as the first fight because Joshua couldn't allow that to happen. He needed to control the fight and he did.
I think Joshua would struggle against Wilder or Fury. Given the rumours of AJ's sparring knockout and being rocked so hard in the first Ruiz fight I'd say he wants to avoid Wilder at all costs. Best case scenario for him is that Fury beats Wilder and then AJ can possibly get a result against Fury. It would certainly be a worthwhile payday regardless of result.
I think he would struggle against Fury more than Wilder. Accepting that if Wilder were to connect it would be over.
cheekymonkey888
Member
wow. It was a great fight ... He fought like Fury and Klitchko roiled into one
Wow that’s really selling it to me🥴
Two of the most boring boxers of recent times rolled into one😂
Joshua will get hyped back up as before by his fan base; women and the casuals who both know next to nothing about boxing ... it’s tricky to see if Hearn will cash in now and goes for a Wilder or Fury match knowing 95% chance Joshua loses but gets a huge pay day. Or if he goes back fighting the tomato cans for less money but less risk.
One good thing to come out of the Ruiz loss for Hearn is that now they can sell a match against the worse opponent and make it sellable off the back of Joshua dodgy whiskers.
Thankfully I didn't pay but still got to watch after a mate in oz gave me a web address to use. I'll probably have my bank emptied now and my Facebook hacked but I'm still 25 quid better off.
Controlled and stuck to the game plan. Big fight at home against fury is what should be next, whether it will happen is another matter.
It was absolutely the right tactics from Joshua but he looked horribly uncomfortable. He was so nervous. He simply should not be struggling against a 20 stone slob like Ruiz, even if he does have fast hands and power. There should be a massive gulf between them. Joshua looked in danger whenever he tried to tie Ruiz up. Ruiz would break the clinch with ease and launch a couple of bombs and you could see Joshua not knowing what to do. His jab's also not powerful and dominant enough.
His team have done the right work to win the belts back but he looked so unnatural doing it.
Fury boxes his head off and the moment Wilder lands, it's game over.
One more defence against Usyk by the sounds of it, then the winner of Wilder Fury will send him into retirement I reckon.
Fury and Wilder are equally flawed, Fury can box but has no real knockout power, Wilder is probably the worst boxer of the lot of them and has to depend on one punch, which I am not sure is even as hard as Joshuas best. It is interesting because they all have there flaws.
Joshua's jab was snapping Ruiz's head back last night. Ruiz is tough as nails, bit IMO that gives Wilder a proplem. Fury would mainly avoid the jab, but then Joshua doesn't have to worry about the knockout power from Fury as much and can afford to let his hands go much more. I don't think any prospective fight between the three is particularly predictable in terms of result, but it is nonsense to be writing Joshua off.
The joker in the pack now could be Ruiz, he had a taste of the big time, he is perhaps the most naturally talented boxer of the lot. Joshua's edge before his defeat was his physique, when he lost he went straight back in the gym and concentrated on boxing. Could Ruiz do the same form the other side, now that he has had a taste, could he work on his physique and athleticism and deliver a body to allow his talent to really shine.
Proved he’s no “poor man’s Bruno” thats fer sher.
I still think Bruno beats him more times than not.
Even happier I didn't pay for it given ruiz's comments afterwards about not being fully prepared. He's the champion of the world and he couldn't stay off the cakes for 3 months. Man didn't deserve my money..
The comparisons to Bruno and Joshua are credible. Both are superbly built with very heavy hands, and both were not natural fighters. Where they differ is in the chin dept; Bruno had a decent chin and simply did not know what to do when hurt, he just froze and enabled his opponents to finish him off. Joshua from lots of accounts from training camps and the Ruiz fight does not have a sturdy chin.
Fury is an ugly fighter and does not possess a dynamite big punch; but he can punch hard enough to get the respect of his opponents, otherwise the likes of Klitschko, Chisora and Wilder would have simply walked through his punches.
Wilder had an amazing amateur record for someone who started boxing at 20yrs old - and only 35 amateur fights, so dont underestimate him boxing ability - he just relies too much on his devastating punch power. There is little doubt he would only need to land 1 of those punches on Joshua.
Ruiz is just a slob. I cant imagine him accomplishing anything now with a few more million in his account. If he wasnt motivated to train for his first defence and an expectation of even bigger riches, then nothing will motivate him now.
Usyk could be the danger for Joshua now. He is mandatory. Whilst Usyk is unlikely to hit as hard as Ruiz, he will be more skilled and if Joshua is still lacking confidence about his chin he could be outworked.
I paid for the fight as well. The atmosphere in Saudi Arabia wasn’t the best but money talks I guess.
Ruiz was in poor shape if I’m honest, he’s supposed to be the heavyweight champion! AJ did well but I get the impression that he is punch shy, where in fact he is doubting his own punch resistance. However fair play to him for getting the titles back.
As for Ruiz, I can’t see him making much of boxing now, if he cannot get motivated for this fight he won’t get motivated for another opponent neither, especially if he had a few ££millions in the bank now.
Where they differ is in the chin dept
I disagree (if that is actually allowed) - No way could Bruno have put on a display of movement like Joshua did last night. Which is what I meant by my comment.
It is a shame he’s got the fear now, he was good to watch when he thought he was indestructible. Now he’ll play safe in every fight. Imagine Holyfield coming in like that against someone who’d beaten him previously... Evander was like ‘come on then, lets have ya!’ AJ’s now ‘Please don’t hit me’. Bit of a let down.
I don't follow boxing, but saw a news clip, and thought , who is the short fat guy squaring up to a tall very lean fella....
Its fine to disagree. I am not too sure Bruno would have actually lost to a Ruiz - in fact, its hard to imagine many former modern day belt holders losing to such a guy.
Holyfield is one the most under rated heavyweight champions in my book. Certainly in the top 3 of all time.
Not a bad nights work for Ruiz, do **** all training, eat and party like a champion, still pick up a wage that would embarrass a footballer.
I am not too sure Bruno would have actually lost to a Ruiz
No chance Bruno would have list to Ruiz.
And you are dead right about his chin, he took some absolutely brutal shots against tyson at the end of the fight and was still standing. Had no sense of self preservation.
who is the short fat guy squaring up to a tall very lean fella….
I bet you were the first person to notice that too.
I don't think Bruno was as good as he seems to be getting credit for . 40 wins 5 defeats says very good but not absolutely top tier . Joshua 1 defeat totally avenged and twice world heavyweight champ is , for me a fair bit better than Bruno .
I don’t think Bruno was as good as he seems to be getting credit for . 40 wins 5 defeats says very good but not absolutely top tier . Joshua 1 defeat totally avenged and twice world heavyweight champ is , for me a fair bit better than Bruno .
Probably fair but Frank was good - not an elite pfp type fighter but world level no problem - 4 of those defeats were against the absolute top tier, not the Andy Ruiz Jrs of the fight game.
Like mooman said above he seemed to just lack that extra bit of ringcraft that could take him out of troubled waters - got KO'd by Smith and Witherspoon right at the death both times.
I don’t think Bruno was as good as he seems to be getting credit for . 40 wins 5 defeats says very good but not absolutely top tier
3 of those came against top 20 all time great heavies. Witherspoon was also a top notch two time world champ.
Bruno wasn't absolute top tier but he'd not have lost to Ruiz. No chance..
Based on what?
If my memory serves me correctly Witherspoon was a bit of a fatty as well .
Bruno wasn’t absolute top tier but he’d not have lost to Ruiz. No chance..
So, Bruno lost to every top level fighter he faced (whether ol Boneclutcher was even top level is debatable). He was a lovely fella and a People's Champion type of course. (I was a big fan up til Witherspoon exposed him)
Whether he'd have lost to Ruiz can only be guess-work.