Originally Posted by
smashup
Read this article earlier which is maybe overly harsh towards AJ but i agree with a lot of what the writer says....
Jaded Joshua Ruins The Day
Anthony Joshua was supposed to be the savior of boxing—a heavyweight with charisma, a big punch, and a willingness to let his big fists fly for the enjoyment of all. No more cold, clinical, tediously dull Wladimir Klitschko, who could punch through a cement wall, but never actually pushed himself to “fight” as champ. The new champ was ALL about fighting and about steamrolling those who found themselves in his way. And the fans loved him immediately for it, turning him into boxing’s biggest live draw and a fast-rising worldwide superstar.
But, in case you haven’t noticed, “AJ” has been more Wladimir Klitschko than Anthony Joshua these last couple fights. Against Carlos Takam last October and against Joseph Parker this past Saturday, Joshua fought carefully and methodically, looking like someone primarily focused on not losing and secondarily interested in doing just enough to win. More and more, the big Brit looks to be fighting with business on his mind, bursting with self-awareness when it comes to the kind of money laid out at his feet.
All of this is understandable from Joshua’s perspective, but it doesn’t make for a compelling sporting contest when one side is not good enough to win and the other side is not too sure about doing anything more than bare minimum to secure a win.
From a fan’s perspective, it sucks, actually.
It was probably inevitable that Joshua would become jaded when he realized how much money he could make and how many asses he could put in seats by merely showing up—and that a ragingly bold performance wasn’t even necessary. 80,000 fans at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales seemed oddly enthused by the all-around lackluster performance by their hero on Saturday, so why would Joshua do anything different than the bare minimum needed to get to his next payday?
After the fight, the now-three-belt champ spoke with a tone of triumphant glory like he had just beaten Ali, Frazier, and Foreman, all in the same night or like he had just proven his mettle in all-out war. He boasted of his title belt collection, threw rocks at WBC champ Deontay Wilder, and assured that he would not be travelling abroad anytime soon. Joshua’s bold after-fight presence stood in stark contrast to his going-through-the-motions performance just minutes earlier.
This may have been “boxing finesse,” as he bragged in that same post-fight interview, but it was also cynical as fuck. Just because the UK fans apparently failed to see it, that doesn’t mean that it was anything other than what it was.
Yeah, Parker, with a good jab and a survivor’s mindset, was making it tough for Joshua to barrel in and Takam, last fall, was an awkward late replacement. There are excuses for Joshua’s recent performances. But the truly great ones take out the survivors and clumsy stragglers right away, they obliterate the pretenders and truly separate themselves from everyone beneath them. They don’t keep opponents around who clearly have no idea how to win and they sure as hell don’t crow about efforts that put everyone outside their home country to sleep.
WBC champ Deontay Wilder, for all his technical flaws and cringe-worthy behavior, is, at the very least, powered by this drive to conquer rather than simply win. It makes him a more compelling fighter and his fights overall more entertaining, especially now, with Joshua having done little more than the bare minimum in recent performances.
But why would Joshua do anything different than what he’s doing now? With guaranteed eight-figure paydays rolling in and an adoring, hero-hungry UK audience willing to love him no matter what, he really doesn’t have to go all-out to please those who aren’t enthralled by his mere presence.
In the short term, this is good news for Joshua and his ability to make a living. It means big, easy money. But, long term, fighters who become jaded and then complacent, rarely last long at the top of the boxing food chain.
http://www.boxing.com/jaded_joshua_ruins_the_day.html
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