Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk 2

[Spicoli]

Just to add. The only real criticism I have of Joshua is how passive he was in the tenth. Yes Usyk came out firing. But that had to have been expected and very much part of plan A. Joshua allowed it to happen when the correct response was to do exactly what Usyk did and try to win the fight there and then by returning heavier fire. That was the time to impose himself physically. Instead he allowed round ten to become round thirteen and the game was up.

In hindsight and pattern have to wonder how much AJ punched himself out in 9th. Was a massive round for him. Once Usyk stormed out in 10th and AJ did the leaning and slumping along ropes ya just got the feel Usyk was hammer down for the haul. Doing a rewatch tonight, for all the talk and hash out on post fight it really was a fun scrap with more than a few shifts.

You’re probably right, Joshua did empty the tank in the 9th, but he had no choice. It was virtually the only joy he had in the fight, so he had to try to capitalise on it. If he never , he would have got criticised for not having killer instinct.
I had Usyk winning the fight by 4 rounds , so I had him 1 round up after the 9th anyway, and that was giving AJ a close round earlier that I couldn’t split them on.

Think I had exact same at the end score wise. There was a spot real early where AJ bounced a left hook off Usyk and Usyk moved a bit. Almost looked like he was trying to get AJ to bite that he was hurt but he felt it. First real AJ breakout was in 6th he racked Usyk and got physical getting him to ropes for first time and had a very nice body combo. Usyk immediately bulled back into AJ with his shoulder and punched back to ring center, felt like a telling point. AJ actually packaged the 8th and 9th well focusing on body but man, that 9th, Usyk knew he had to bite down mentally and take command of championship rounds. I do think and said even after Ruiz I there was a hesitancy about AJ. I mean it's natural I would suspect after being ko'd like that. Not saying lacking heart etc. more likely pacing stamina and constant shifts all while Usyk kept himself in countering position. Usyk is the type of top operator you just have to know he will find the angle to return on you and you will get clipped going on your bigger offense. Shit, maybe Usyk is just a much sharper puncher moving up than given credit for. You don't have to cave in walls to make a guy buzz, rethink and reset, tons to be said for sharp accuracy you don't see coming in guaranteed combination.

[TIC]

i think oleksandr still had gears that he never used, showed a rev up in the tenth & i feel could have really turned the screws down the stretch had he wanted to

[NoSavingByTheBell]

i think oleksandr still had gears that he never used, showed a rev up in the tenth & i feel could have really turned the screws down the stretch had he wanted to

Yeah he still had something left but you saw Joshua when the bell rang at the end of the 12th round he was staggering back to his corner and really off balance for the first couple of steps. Usyk definitely had more left and I think if there had been a 13th round he would have knocked out Joshua because Joshua was totally spent.

He was skint.

[Master]

i think oleksandr still had gears that he never used, showed a rev up in the tenth & i feel could have really turned the screws down the stretch had he wanted to

Yeah he still had something left but you saw Joshua when the bell rang at the end of the 12th round he was staggering back to his corner and really off balance for the first couple of steps. Usyk definitely had more left and I think if there had been a 13th round he would have knocked out Joshua because Joshua was totally spent.

He was skint.

That is because he was pacing himself for 12 rounds and if it was longer he would have left something for those rounds. Stop being illogical.

[Mark TKO]

Still on holiday so not been keeping up.

Any news on ppv numbers?

[NoSavingByTheBell]

i think oleksandr still had gears that he never used, showed a rev up in the tenth & i feel could have really turned the screws down the stretch had he wanted to

Yeah he still had something left but you saw Joshua when the bell rang at the end of the 12th round he was staggering back to his corner and really off balance for the first couple of steps. Usyk definitely had more left and I think if there had been a 13th round he would have knocked out Joshua because Joshua was totally spent.

He was skint.

That is because he was pacing himself for 12 rounds and if it was longer he would have left something for those rounds. Stop being illogical.

Nahh, he just gasses easy.

[Master]

Robert Garcia is set to remain as coach of Anthony Joshua as the British heavyweight plans his return to the ring. Many feared that a second defeat by Ukrainian heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia last weekend might bring about the end of Joshua's professional boxing career, but he hopes to bounce straight back later this year.

Joshua showed improvements under new coach Garcia from his first defeat against Usyk and plans to keep the American in his corner for his next fight. "It was something that I liked in him," Garcia told IZQUIERDAZO when talking about Joshua wanting an immediate return to the ring.

"Regularly, after a tough fight like this one, a fighter wants to rest four, five, or six months, doing nothing. And then, resume training to fight eight or ten months later. Anthony (Joshua) wants to fight again in November, but (Eddie) Hearn wants December. I think December is better.

"Anthony (Joshua) wants to fight as soon as possible, because he doesn't want to be seen as a loser. He said that he wants to be back soon and win. For me, that is the attitude of a great warrior. I like that he thinks in that way.

"If the fight is in December, there is not much time left, just four months. He can rest for a couple of weeks, but we will keep training, and be in better form for December." In the aftermath of AJ's first defeat to Usyk in London last September the British heavyweight replace long-term trainer Rob McCracken with Garcia after touring American gyms searching for a new coach.

However, after the British heavyweight's second defeat to Usyk last weekend Garcia criticised his boxer and said Joshua had been disrespectful to his opponent after losing the fight by a split judges' decision. AJ threw two of the Ukrainian's world title belts out of the ring and stormed off, only to return to the ring moments later to deliver an emotional speech.

"When that happened, I was not close to him", Garcia told IZQUIERDAZO. "I don't exactly know how it happened.

"When he grabbed the belts, I believed that he wanted to greet Usyk, and deliver the belts himself, recognising Usyk as the champion or something like that. But then I saw that he went to a corner, and threw them to the floor. I saw a little bit of a lack of respect."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...f85aa512482f1c

[NoSavingByTheBell]

Robert Garcia is set to remain as coach of Anthony Joshua as the British heavyweight plans his return to the ring. Many feared that a second defeat by Ukrainian heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia last weekend might bring about the end of Joshua's professional boxing career, but he hopes to bounce straight back later this year.

Joshua showed improvements under new coach Garcia from his first defeat against Usyk and plans to keep the American in his corner for his next fight. "It was something that I liked in him," Garcia told IZQUIERDAZO when talking about Joshua wanting an immediate return to the ring.

"Regularly, after a tough fight like this one, a fighter wants to rest four, five, or six months, doing nothing. And then, resume training to fight eight or ten months later. Anthony (Joshua) wants to fight again in November, but (Eddie) Hearn wants December. I think December is better.

"Anthony (Joshua) wants to fight as soon as possible, because he doesn't want to be seen as a loser. He said that he wants to be back soon and win. For me, that is the attitude of a great warrior. I like that he thinks in that way.

"If the fight is in December, there is not much time left, just four months. He can rest for a couple of weeks, but we will keep training, and be in better form for December." In the aftermath of AJ's first defeat to Usyk in London last September the British heavyweight replace long-term trainer Rob McCracken with Garcia after touring American gyms searching for a new coach.

However, after the British heavyweight's second defeat to Usyk last weekend Garcia criticised his boxer and said Joshua had been disrespectful to his opponent after losing the fight by a split judges' decision. AJ threw two of the Ukrainian's world title belts out of the ring and stormed off, only to return to the ring moments later to deliver an emotional speech.

"When that happened, I was not close to him", Garcia told IZQUIERDAZO. "I don't exactly know how it happened.

"When he grabbed the belts, I believed that he wanted to greet Usyk, and deliver the belts himself, recognising Usyk as the champion or something like that. But then I saw that he went to a corner, and threw them to the floor. I saw a little bit of a lack of respect."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...f85aa512482f1c

People who fight solely on the pretext of "not wanting to appear to be a loser" are surely fighting for the wrong reasons. Good luck, lil Tony.