Anthony Joshua gets stopped by Mihai Nistor

[Tam Seddon]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eUx9sDcl2Cw

What do we think of this then?

[jon09]

Mihai Nistor is a beast its a shame he has not turned pro.

[ykdadamaja]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eUx9sDcl2Cw

What do we think of this then?

Like a poisonous mongoose vs. an ox.

[La Cucaracha]

Big shots and definitely hurt, but that's the amateur game. Get caught with a couple of shots and they'll stop it.

[p4pking]

Who knows, it's an amateur fight and I don't think he showed a bad chin there or anything. Was definitely rocked before each count but they were good left hooks, and that would never be a stoppage in the pros. Plus, for a big man with his frame 22 can still be very young in physical terms, Lennox Lewis fought like a newborn Giraffe at that age, hard to tell.

[Vendettos]

I do not read much into amateur results.

Mike Tyson is a fine example, Tillman beat him multiple times in the amateurs yet he was destroyed by Mike in the pros.

[Dia bando]

Tam I would not put much stead, on that fight Joshua is a different fighter now to then mate,
I would fancy Joshua to KO Nistor, in a proper maner this moment in time.

[J_Undisputed]

A lot of amateurs don't deal well with pressure. Thing that stood out to me was that Joshua was not using his Jab aggressively as part of his offense and defense. Nistor made it his fight and the kid tried to bang with him here or there just to get some breathing room rather that using his distance, ring generalship and clinching to slow down the pace of the fight. I haven't followed Joshua after that but if hes made his jab a better part of his arsenal and polished his footwork and learned to clinch. He should be fine. Just the trial by fire of a fighter. Its better that it happened to him early, rather than him being spoonfed in a gym till he's 23 and then getting thrown to the wolves and becoming a professional opponent.

[Beanz]

Joshua started really late and his progress has been far better than even his most optimistic of coaches could have predicted. He has met every challenge so far. Will he be able to carry on that upward trajectory and translate that into international success? Who knows, still early days.

[X]

That was interesting.

Joshua is a vastly improved and more powerful boxer since then. He was quite tentative and went straight onto the back foot, allowing his shorter opponent to control the distance in the fight.

Mind you, I'd love to see what would happen if today's Joshua fought someone that aggressive, and what he would be like when he isn't marching forward dictating the fight

[erics44]

he looked scrappy, wasnt that long ago was it

i reckon he was winning tho pretty well

the stoppage wasnt a professional stoppage, he got hit and looked a bit ruffled

[denilson200]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eUx9sDcl2Cw

What do we think of this then?

First time I've seen this Nistor guy and I'm impressed. He for sure has potential. It would be interesting to see what a top trainer could do with him. He's got lil bit of the Tyson style in him. He would need to get in shape though, carrying a bit of blubber. But he has potential for sure. As for the stoppage, amateur refs stops fights earlier than most UK pro refs (And that's saying something) I don't think Joshua was really badly hurt or anything.

I dont dismiss amateur results like some are doing, pretty much every great pro fighter of the last 20 years had a stellar amateur career (Mayweather, De La Hoya, Holyfield, Lewis, Bowe, Ward, Khan, Roy Jones, Ward, Whittaker, Klistchko...even the likes Wilder won a Bronze)

Don't get me wrong. Yes Tyson was beaten by Tillman in the amateurs as was Bowe was beaten by Jorge Luis Gonalez and both went on to destroy them in the pros.

But I don't run with that "O that's just the amateurs, it means nothing" argument...well if that's case then why are so many promoters so quick and eager to sign up fighters who have done well at the Olympics ?

[ross]

Its not stopped too early.

Well, not as in the ref decided he'd had enough.

The rule is if you are visibly hurt (which Joshua was) you have to take a standing count. If you take two standing counts in a single round you are stopped. Like getting two yellow cards in a football match. The idea is, you don't get hurt.

Quite surprised at some of the replies here about it being early. Everyone loves to be an expert but don't know a basic rule. We all watch the olympics right? Thats amateur.

[ross]

I swear two standing counts in a round was the rule that you got stopped on but cannot find it in the new rules!! Its now 3 standing counts in a round.

[SlimTrae]

That was interesting.

Joshua is a vastly improved and more powerful boxer since then. He was quite tentative and went straight onto the back foot, allowing his shorter opponent to control the distance in the fight.

Mind you, I'd love to see what would happen if today's Joshua fought someone that aggressive, and what he would be like when he isn't marching forward dictating the fight

He looked very tentative. For a person like me just watching him for the first time- I'd say he should look to another career.
As others said here- His jab needs work, he didnt have pop to his shots. His clinching was ineffective.

@ Vendetto- With Tyson I think it was a style thing. The amatuer fights I have of Tyson, he was a beast then, but he was just more suited for the pros.