AJ is a disgrace to the sport!

[mikeeod]

I like AJ. He looks like he trained extremely hard and truly felt he would be victorious so I can see him being frustrated, exhausted, emotional, and then having the additional impact of career ramifications. Losing a tough fight like that in front of millions is hard enough, but add the financial implications and it likely makes you feel a little hopeless and scared. I wish he had handled it better, but I’m sure that today AJ wishes that he had handled it better way more than anyone else.

I would like to see AJ take on a couple of easy fights before moving into a Wilder super fight. Heavyweight is kind of thin right now to me, so not sure how many interesting fights remain for him. I would pay big money to watch him fight Wilder.

I like AJ too. Plus, you're right about AJ likely wishing he had handled it better more than anyone else.

But sometimes we can't gloss over a humongous screw-up just because we like the fighter involved. To be clear, many other fighters have lost under pressure-packed conditions, to their utmost frustration. Yet many of them have managed to muster the gumption and comportment to handle the situation professionally. AJ failed miserably.

The victim here was Usyk. It was HIS moment, not AJ's. Nobody needed (nor wanted) for AJ to go into a self-serving monologue, mic in hand.

No, I didn't watch the fight. I'll be sure to watch it at my first available opportunity. Thanks to all the gents who provided a wonderful RBR. I also followed it on a live update site. But I did watch the whole aftermath. It's on plenty of YouTubes.

Let's not fall into the typical double standard trap. We've all blasted Deontay Wilder for all the stupid crap he utters, and cringe every time he opens his mouth. As with Joshua, I like Wilder also. He's made the most of what he has. I still think a matchup between him and Joshua would be extremely interesting and fan-friendly. It would be a huge fight, regardless of whether a title is involved. Should've happened years ago.

Had Joshua reigned in his unfortunate impulses and behaved more normally, letting Usyk have his well-deserved day in the sun... he would've immediately multiplied his fanbase. But he didn't. He f*cked up. Not to mention going on an expletive filled rant which probably broke a world record in bleeps for a post-fight interview.

I don't disagree with anything you wrote- Joshua should have been respectful and classy in defeat. Usyk and the Ukrainian people deserved their moment- especially right now. My point was more towards the comment or thought that AJ is a disgrace to the sport. His actions that night were inexcusable, but were they so severe that we are saying AJ is a disgrace to boxing?? That seems harsh for someone who has represented the sport well and been a great ambassador for 99% of his time in the eyes of the public.

[TitoFan]

I like AJ. He looks like he trained extremely hard and truly felt he would be victorious so I can see him being frustrated, exhausted, emotional, and then having the additional impact of career ramifications. Losing a tough fight like that in front of millions is hard enough, but add the financial implications and it likely makes you feel a little hopeless and scared. I wish he had handled it better, but I’m sure that today AJ wishes that he had handled it better way more than anyone else.

I would like to see AJ take on a couple of easy fights before moving into a Wilder super fight. Heavyweight is kind of thin right now to me, so not sure how many interesting fights remain for him. I would pay big money to watch him fight Wilder.

I like AJ too. Plus, you're right about AJ likely wishing he had handled it better more than anyone else.

But sometimes we can't gloss over a humongous screw-up just because we like the fighter involved. To be clear, many other fighters have lost under pressure-packed conditions, to their utmost frustration. Yet many of them have managed to muster the gumption and comportment to handle the situation professionally. AJ failed miserably.

The victim here was Usyk. It was HIS moment, not AJ's. Nobody needed (nor wanted) for AJ to go into a self-serving monologue, mic in hand.

No, I didn't watch the fight. I'll be sure to watch it at my first available opportunity. Thanks to all the gents who provided a wonderful RBR. I also followed it on a live update site. But I did watch the whole aftermath. It's on plenty of YouTubes.

Let's not fall into the typical double standard trap. We've all blasted Deontay Wilder for all the stupid crap he utters, and cringe every time he opens his mouth. As with Joshua, I like Wilder also. He's made the most of what he has. I still think a matchup between him and Joshua would be extremely interesting and fan-friendly. It would be a huge fight, regardless of whether a title is involved. Should've happened years ago.

Had Joshua reigned in his unfortunate impulses and behaved more normally, letting Usyk have his well-deserved day in the sun... he would've immediately multiplied his fanbase. But he didn't. He f*cked up. Not to mention going on an expletive filled rant which probably broke a world record in bleeps for a post-fight interview.

I don't disagree with anything you wrote- Joshua should have been respectful and classy in defeat. Usyk and the Ukrainian people deserved their moment- especially right now. My point was more towards the comment or thought that AJ is a disgrace to the sport. His actions that night were inexcusable, but were they so severe that we are saying AJ is a disgrace to boxing?? That seems harsh for someone who has represented the sport well and been a great ambassador for 99% of his time in the eyes of the public.

100%.

"Disgrace to the sport" is totally unwarranted and a huge overreaction. Joshua screwed up BIG TIME... and someone from his team should've tried to do a bit of damage control before it went too long... or the mic should've mysteriously stopped working. To excuse any part of his strange rant is to overlook the obvious. But Joshua, IMO, is a good human being. Good human beings are not "a disgrace to the sport." Let's save that moniker for fighters who have really earned it.