Anthony Joshua has reached out to Ismail Salas??

[Ruthless-RKO]

Anthony Joshua is claimed to have reached out to veteran Cuban trainer Ismael Salas over a potential training change ahead of the Andy Ruiz Jr rematch.

Strength and Conditioning coach Angel ‘Memo’ Heredia, who works with Salas in Las Vegas, has declared that he was approached as part of a move that was scuppered by location conflicts.

Memo’ told Hustle Boss TV: “I’mma drop a bomb today. Me and Salas, we were very close to seal a training camp with – we got approached by Joshua.

“But Salas felt that Joshua needed to come to the United States to train here, not for us to go to London so I respected that.

“Joshua I always think is a good fighter, I love Ruiz as well, I’ve worked with Ruiz for two camps.

“He reached out to Salas and Salas reached out to me because he said, ‘I would work with you, only if you get Angel Heredia for the conditioning part’.

“We worked before, we had a camp me and Salas with Joe Joyce, a successful camp in Kazakhstan so he loves how I do conditioning for the kids and that was one of his conditions.

“The other condition was for Joshua to come into the United States and do camp in Vegas, not for us to go to London.

“Salas is already established in Vegas, Salas is not going nowhere else, he’s staying here for good…

“It would have been good. But Joshua, I think he wanted to stay in England, he wanted us to go out there but it is what it is.”

He may be known to British fans for being brought in to train David Haye for his rematch with Tony Bellew last year.

However, after that fight went against his man, Salas moved into ‘semi-retirement’ and is now based in Las Vegas working with Erislandy Lara.

When asked how Eddie Hearn reacted to the idea of a Joshua link-up, Heredia claimed: “He was very supportive about it, he thought it was a good idea, a lot of the people who were behind these negotiations were excited about it.

“A lot of people thought that he needed a change, not only on the corner, but he also needed a different strength and conditioning trainer.

“Joshua is very athletic, but in my opinion he does a lot of exercises that do not let him be quicker than he is supposed to be.

“But Ismael decided not to go and obviously one day they decided to stay with the same coach.

“Yes [he will stay with his original trainer].”

[Oiky]

Dont think it woulda done him much good anyway tbh

[tobyh5]

If there is even a shred of truth to that, it does not bode well for the rematch. Too many facets to write in a forum post (no warm up to test out the relationship, straight into a big fight, need to get used to a whole new location as he loses Sheffied, his team have used the GB set-up and will have to set up all aspects of a camp for the first time,) Then if if he does not make the switch there could be problems between him and McCracken now, suggests lack of belief, shows they know changes are needed but will be fighting the big fight without having made them

Etc etc etc.

Interesting though

Perhaps this is the truth of the delay announcing the rematch date

[SAPFO]

So if true, AJ does not listen to his coaches advice in the ring, but feels he needs a new coach?


Honestly, Wlad is the man for AJ. Do a Wlad style fitness camp, added to Wlad's personal technical sparring 121 sessions, and AJ is good to go.


I reckon if Ruiz wins again, then Wlad will fancy a crack.

[tiny_acres]

So if true, AJ does not listen to his coaches advice in the ring, but feels he needs a new coach?


Honestly, Wlad is the man for AJ. Do a Wlad style fitness camp, added to Wlad's personal technical sparring 121 sessions, and AJ is good to go.


I reckon if Ruiz wins again, then Wlad will fancy a crack.

I don't think Wlad's style would work for aj.
AJ just doesn't have the same attributes as Wlad.

[oogiebe]

So if true, AJ does not listen to his coaches advice in the ring, but feels he needs a new coach?


Honestly, Wlad is the man for AJ. Do a Wlad style fitness camp, added to Wlad's personal technical sparring 121 sessions, and AJ is good to go.


I reckon if Ruiz wins again, then Wlad will fancy a crack.

I don't think Wlad's style would work for aj.
AJ just doesn't have the same attributes as Wlad.

Yeah, we've been through that one already. Two very different fighters.

[deadpan]

So if true, AJ does not listen to his coaches advice in the ring, but feels he needs a new coach?


Honestly, Wlad is the man for AJ. Do a Wlad style fitness camp, added to Wlad's personal technical sparring 121 sessions, and AJ is good to go.


I reckon if Ruiz wins again, then Wlad will fancy a crack.

I agree. 70 thousand in Germany. And Wlad wins.

[MightyWarrior]

If what this blabbermouth says is true, it doesn’t bode well for Joshua, or Rob McCrackin.

Sounds like he’s clutching at straws ~ I think Joshua could be heading over a cliff, taking this rematch so soon.

Reckon Eddie must be getting a sense of that too, but it’s tough one to back out of I guess.

I’d definitely take a warm up first if I was his manager, and yes the Wlad option sounds a good one as well ....just to get his head right

[tobyh5]

If what this blabbermouth says is true, it doesn’t bode well for Joshua, or Rob McCrackin.

Sounds like he’s clutching at straws ~ I think Joshua could be heading over a cliff, taking this rematch so soon.

Reckon Eddie must be getting a sense of that too, but it’s tough one to back out of I guess.

I’d definitely take a warm up first if I was his manager, and yes the Wlad option sounds a good one as well ....just to get his head right

I think it is lunacy to take the immediate rematch tbh and a very short term view. The are so focused on the belts and what they give them that they have lost sight of the bigger picture totally. It is driven by fear that if they do not take the rematch, they will be frozen out of the picture and / or the belts will fracture and it will be starting from scratch and maybe impossible to pull them all back together as they were held, making an undisputed fight thus nearly impossible to ever happen

For me it is lose - lose though as if he takes the rematach and loses, they are properly fcked and the career is in tatters but even if he wins, with the shortcomings we have all seen, he will have to fight the big fights, the mandatories etc and not be able to learn the craft and fill in those gaps. It will be straight back to what happened the first time - a powerful, good, robotic fighter who has serious flaws.

The right thing for longevity and becoming the best fighter he can be is what Wlad did but also what Lennox did - new camp, new setting, with a coach who is a teacher, learn his craft with warm-ups and learning fights before going back into the fray and heat of the top level. Lennox with Stewart became a complete fighter (but tbh, he started from a position of better fundamentals anyway)

[samwbr]

If he wins he still loses? That's ridiculous. He will have the belts back and be in a commanding position.
All the current heavy have serious flaws.

[tobyh5]

Deleted. Made a better reply two posts down

[keithmoonhangover]

Manny Stewart would have been the man for the job.

[tobyh5]

If he wins he still loses? That's ridiculous. He will have the belts back and be in a commanding position.
All the current heavy have serious flaws.

I am talking about how it affects his historical position eventually - the long term net result. You are looking at the rematch in isolation as one fight and winning back the belts, and being the kingpin again who can dictate some financial terms. I am looking at what happens next, AFTER the rematch and what that means to his historical ranking once retired. Not his short term position but his legacy and the fighter he may turn out to be.

Two analogies - I like the story of the guy in the amateurs who lost a semi-final in a US tournament (winner goes into final against Iron Mike) and the winner was laughing at him and so the loser said: "Win? You didn't win, you gotta fight Tyson next."

Another one - guy has girlfriend who is a cheating bitch, she leaves him, he is distraught and desperate to get her back, and he eventually does. Has he won or lost when you look at what happens next to him?

[tobyh5]

Once Joshua boxed Charles Martin for the IBF title there was no going back.

Prior to Martin he had boxed just 32 rounds as a professional and had only 43 amateur fights.

Take away Joshua's genetic size advantages and you have a fighter who is technically very limited and one that is not improving in any area except for his physique.

This was exposed by Ruiz and unless he blasts Ruiz out inside 1-3 rounds in the rematch I would say Joshua's career has peaked already.

Winning the title from Martin catapulted Joshua's career into the stratosphere, turning him into a brand and cash-cow overnight.

Unfortunately going back to drawing board is not an option open to him unless he loses the rematch.

Exactly how I see it except the last part. He can do whatever the hell he wants, if he wants to. If the team do not like it, tell them to fck off as its his career and his life. Time to take responsibility for his own direction and life and do what is best for him.

[BigDoofus]

He's training in Nigeria at the moment.
After Povetkin he was training in Dubai, Jamaica and Oregon.
I've never seen a tweet about him being tested in this time.
It seems like he only trains with McCracken pre-fight after he's signed up for VADA.

[kbackup408]

He's training in Nigeria at the moment.
After Povetkin he was training in Dubai, Jamaica and Oregon.
I've never seen a tweet about him being tested in this time.
It seems like he only trains with McCracken pre-fight after he's signed up for VADA.

you make an interesting point, food for thought for the rational fellas here !

[SAPFO]

I don't think Wlad's style would work for aj.
AJ just doesn't have the same attributes as Wlad.

Yeah, we've been through that one already. Two very different fighters.

Why can’t he? It’s a style based around primarily avoiding damage, conservation of the gas tank, and using the natural gift of size & strength that both guys have.


Attribute check:

Wlad & AJ are similar height & reach

Wlad has a better tank, but he never always had that. His evolution & simpler style allowed him to become more efficient.

Both usually stronger than their oppo

Both carry power

There is nothing in Wlad arsenal that I don’t think AJ could learn. Simple combos, simple movements., safety first approach, ability to jab jab jab, wear them down before going for the kill....


He would become a bore, but it would work. And he shouldn’t fight Ruiz, it’s be a total rebuild.

AJ can’t sustain his aggressive style no matter what cardio he does. Wilder is a strip of piss and he’s blowing after a big excretion.


I think you’re Eddie Hearn and you don’t want it to happen


AJ has to drastically evolve his style or he’s done as the dominant force.



Debate......

[SAPFO]

He's training in Nigeria at the moment.
After Povetkin he was training in Dubai, Jamaica and Oregon.
I've never seen a tweet about him being tested in this time.
It seems like he only trains with McCracken pre-fight after he's signed up for VADA.

you make an interesting point, food for thought for the rational fellas here !

Nigerian meat

Nigerians are probably the toughest, scariest of people from the African heritage

[dookus]

Yeah, we've been through that one already. Two very different fighters.

Why can’t he? It’s a style based around primarily avoiding damage, conservation of the gas tank, and using the natural gift of size & strength that both guys have.


Attribute check:

Wlad & AJ are similar height & reach

Wlad has a better tank, but he never always had that. His evolution & simpler style allowed him to become more efficient.

Both usually stronger than their oppo

Both carry power

There is nothing in Wlad arsenal that I don’t think AJ could learn. Simple combos, simple movements., safety first approach, ability to jab jab jab, wear them down before going for the kill....


He would become a bore, but it would work. And he shouldn’t fight Ruiz, it’s be a total rebuild.

AJ can’t sustain his aggressive style no matter what cardio he does. Wilder is a strip of piss and he’s blowing after a big excretion.


I think you’re Eddie Hearn and you don’t want it to happen


AJ has to drastically evolve his style or he’s done as the dominant force.



Debate......

All good points, bar one: footwork. Wlad was excellent on his feet, particularly after spending time with Manny - moved very well laterally and controlled distance. Made him a nightmare to hit with his height, jab and power. AJ has yet to develop anything like that - he's quite the plodder 90 percent of the time.

That and jab - AJ's is fine but nothing like Wlad's. Even in his "first career" it was real hard, thudding, consistent, long jab.

[SAPFO]

The “ramrod”

AJ is lucky he got old Wlad