Anthony Joshua wants to rediscover passion before Andy Ruiz Jr. rematch

[man]

pussy.

That might help, but I am not sure he swings that way.

[man]

seriously, you have to find your passion again
after you lost for the first time? you think ali
said that after the FOTC? or louis after schmeling
floored him? or lennox after rahman?

[oogiebe]

seriously, you have to find your passion again
after you lost for the first time? you think ali
said that after the FOTC? or louis after schmeling
floored him? or lennox after rahman?

I know right? it's all so absurd. we all talked about how a fighter can show greatness after a loss. AJ isn't showing anything of the sort.

[margaret thatcher]

No one proves much after a loss until they actually get back in the ring again

[oogiebe]

No one proves much after a loss until they actually get back in the ring again

Of course, but I'd feel better for him if he just put his head down, shut up, and got to work.

[gilgamesh]

seriously, you have to find your passion again
after you lost for the first time? you think ali
said that after the FOTC? or louis after schmeling
floored him? or lennox after rahman?

Lennox's first loss was McCall, but he was pretty adamant about the rematch with Rahman. Even had to take him to court to get it because Rahman was gonna try to fight Tyson first, and Lennox was like "F*CK THAT! I want my belts back NOW!!!" I remember him screaming at the camera after he knocked out Rahman in the rematch "I told you those belts were on loan! They were on loan!"

[margaret thatcher]

I wonder how much a day he spends training and how much doing interviews

[gilgamesh]

I wonder how much a day he spends training and how much doing interviews

He has done a sh*t load of interviews since losing hasn't he.

[oogiebe]

I wonder how much a day he spends training and how much doing interviews

I do know I still never see vids of him sparring.

[lazboy]

Worrying if true. Worrying for Joshua’s camp, fans and management etc

Talking about getting the passion back for boxing is almost as bad as talking about retirement. Once it’s mentioned, and it’s genuine thoughts, it’s usulaly game over.

Maybe the silk sheets and flash motors have taken a toll on the hunger? Happens all the time.

Might well happen with Ruiz too! He certainly seems to be spending his dough since he won the belts!

Yes! No ones really looking at it from Ruiz’s perspective. I saw that he bought a mansion recently, has had a lot of attention even going on Rogan podcast. Fame is a serious change in his routine. Will it change him? He was the underdog, had nothing to lose and went for it. More pressure is on him now, he’ll be somewhat tossed aside if he loses. It was a fluke some will say.

[greg]

..props to Ruiz, however winning the title and successfully defending it are two different pairs of shoes...let's see how he can handle this pressure...

[margaret thatcher]

Ya, all true about Ruiz. TBH, I find the poor sad pathetic mentally destroyed and finished AJ narrative a bit tiresome now too. These dudes need to f@cking fight so we can really see what they've got.

[lazboy]

Ya, all true about Ruiz. TBH, I find the poor sad pathetic mentally destroyed and finished AJ narrative a bit tiresome now too. These dudes need to f@cking fight so we can really see what they've got.

Yes exactly. They need to fight soon, the interest is hot. No more of this speculative bull, have the fight, that will answer it all.

[KiwiRider]

AJ has been paid too much.
You keep a hunting dog hungry.
Dude needs a couple of ex wives suckling him dry (and not in "the good way")

[lazboy]

AJ has been paid too much.
You keep a hunting dog hungry.
Dude needs a couple of ex wives suckling him dry (and not in "the good way")

He’s set for life depending on the lifestyle he adopts. It’s all relative. Some of these guys just have that competitive personality type and are unaffected by their riches. Some are not. We’ll find out if Aj is or isn’t. Or maybe we have?

[KiwiRider]

AJ has been paid too much.
You keep a hunting dog hungry.
Dude needs a couple of ex wives suckling him dry (and not in "the good way")

He’s set for life depending on the lifestyle he adopts. It’s all relative. Some of these guys just have that competitive personality type and are unaffected by their riches. Some are not. We’ll find out if Aj is or isn’t.

I just remember HW guys of the past having to fight every few months just to make a living.
Promoters ripping them off, ex wives and children taking a cut, bad investments etc
Ah, the good old days

[jamesmcdonnell]

AJ is a sad pathetic case

Hardly.

[lazboy]

He’s set for life depending on the lifestyle he adopts. It’s all relative. Some of these guys just have that competitive personality type and are unaffected by their riches. Some are not. We’ll find out if Aj is or isn’t.

I just remember HW guys of the past having to fight every few months just to make a living.
Promoters ripping them off, ex wives and children taking a cut, bad investments etc
Ah, the good old days

Fair enough. Hagler said it himself and I consider him one of the greatest. I’ve just gathered some other types of people are motivated solely by competition. For example basket ballers like Le Bron, etc.

[ironbeard]

AJ is a sad pathetic case

Hardly.

Not even close.

[gilgamesh]

AJ is a sad pathetic case

How do you figure that one? Made millions of dollars, is overwhelmingly successful. Is one of the biggest stars in his chosen Profession...still, even after losing.

Hell even if he never managed to win another fight, he's had a career that most could only dream of.

[lazboy]

AJ is a sad pathetic case

How do you figure that one? Made millions of dollars, is overwhelmingly successful. Is one of the biggest stars in his chosen Profession...still, even after losing.

Hell even if he never managed to win another fight, he's had a career that most could only dream of.

I don't think he meant that directly. I think he was explaining that there is a general sentiment that AJ is ruined mentally.

[Best Coast]

Lennox Lewis puts it another way. He says AJ needs to overcome his "mental problem" before fighting Ruiz again. I think what he is getting at is a lack of mental toughness on Joshua's part. Every athlete wants to win but not every athlete hates to lose. AJ's attitude in the immediate aftermath of his loss to Ruiz had me thinking that AJ may be one of those athletes who does not really hate to lose.

[Exoddus]

Of course he's lost his passion for boxing. He's got £50,000,000 in the bank. Then gets a beating from a short fat Mexican and had to quit in front of millions of people because he couldn't take the beating anymore.

Said beating will happen again. He will quit again because he couldn't handle a short fat Mexican.

When he loses again. Whether it's against Ruiz or someone else. He retires and goes off into the sunset with his millions of pounds.

[jamesmcdonnell]

To me this sounds like Joshua trying to convince himself, that he lost because he had lost his spark. Nothing wrong with that, it's the mark of a winner, that they find it hard to accept defeat, especially in boxing where so much ego is involved.

Joshua will have to fight differently to win, he can't afford to let Ruiz close the gap, he will need to be pumping the jab out constantly in the first few rounds to take some of the wind out of Ruiz' sails, My concern there is that Joshua may well burn through a lot of his own tank, as he doesn't have the best of stamina.

If he can hurt and discourage Ruiz early, and get him on the back foot, it could be a totally different fight.

I'm looking forward to the rematch, let's hope it lives up to expectations, that's all I care about, not bothered who wins.

[Bandog]

I've always thought Joshua has decent skills and power, just not great, and a little on the robotic side. I think his mind is not where it should be. He had a little ref help stopping Wlad & Takam, and Parker was kept away at critical times. 1st time away from "home" he got KTFO by a chubby guy (I used to think gatekeeper) that is a good boxer. Not a good sign.

I hope he gets back to 100%. Boxing needs guys like him in the HW division.