Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk - 25 September 2021

[margaret thatcher]

AJ went over old ground with a 20 stone midget and tried rematching Whyte.

josh hadnt beaten ruiz before, fury-wilder 2 is comparable to that and was the natural fight, but the 3rd doesnt really seem necessary other than for legalities

if aj-ruiz 3 were made right now i wouldnt really be into it either, just other stuff out there

That’s my point. Needing 2 cracks at Ruiz cos he got splattered all over first time around is much more ‘hurting his standing on the heavyweight scene’ than Fury fighting Wilder because of a legal court ruling.

oh ya i understand that, but as far as old ground , i think fury-wilder 3 is older ground than aj-ruiz 2. just like fury-wilder 2 was totally understandable and the natural fight to make, but fury-wilder 3 is monotonous now

[Monte Fisto]

Defo see them swerving this fight sadly. Too risky, the pot of gold at the end isn’t worth risking. Hope I’m wrong.

[margaret thatcher]

i'm gonna have to smack aj's team if they think this one is too risky, it's just not man!

[Bard of Boxrec]

i'm gonna have to smack aj's team if they think this one is too risky, it's just not man!

I agree, stunning the number of folks who think Usyk wins this. Like they expect Usyk to be Pernell Whitaker in there. He’s going to get hit and hard, and he’s not going to just absorb it all.

[Counter-puncher]

i'm gonna have to smack aj's team if they think this one is too risky, it's just not man!

I agree, stunning the number of folks who think Usyk wins this. Like they expect Usyk to be Pernell Whitaker in there. He’s going to get hit and hard, and he’s not going to just absorb it all.

as i've said before my main worry for Usyk at heavyweight is that he doesn't (or at least he didn't) slip and roll shots, but often absorbs them on the guard, which would be a recipe for him getting knocked around at heavyweight IMO

[maverick23]

Defo see them swerving this fight sadly. Too risky, the pot of gold at the end isn’t worth risking. Hope I’m wrong.

No chance. They’ll want to keep the WBO belt and it’s the fight they’ll have next. Eddie’s dropping other names purely to make Team Usyk think there may be a chance he’ll look for another fight if their demands are too high.

If Eddie came out and said ‘It’s 100% Usyk next...there’s no way we’re dropping the belt’ then it puts them on the back foot in the negotiation.

[Ruthless-RKO]

What promoters say to the media, is probably the complete opposite of what they're doing behind closed doors.

[Twinkle Toes]

I'm not a Fury fan mate, far from it. Can criticise AJ without being a 'Fury fanboy'

So you agree with me that Fury ran off with his tail between his legs to fight basketball player legs than fight Joshua.

[JamesPhilips]

A lot of support for Usyk in the poll.... I’m surprised it’s so even. I just think Joshua is too big too strong like Carl Froch would be for GGG

[MightyWarrior]

Cmon, Usyk far too small for a huge hard hitting power house like Joshua. Usyk looked panicked at the power & size of a slow lumbering lump like Chisora. Josh will pullverise him.

[JamesPhilips]

Cmon, Usyk far too small for a huge hard hitting power house like Joshua. Usyk looked panicked at the power & size of a slow lumbering lump like Chisora. Josh will pullverise him.

This is what I think.

[MightyWarrior]

Of course he’s hard hitting - Pretty sure you’d get confirmation from any heavyweight he’s been in with - playing it safe in the second ruiz fight w good reason, but almost flattened him in the first one when he lets em go

[mickey1975]

Gassiev and Breidis caught him clean without a reaction, both much heavier hitters than Del.

[coghaugen11]

Gassiev and Breidis caught him clean without a reaction, both much heavier hitters than Del.

Boxing is on the way out. Get over it.

A sad sorry state.

[Deserter]

i'm gonna have to smack aj's team if they think this one is too risky, it's just not man!

I agree, stunning the number of folks who think Usyk wins this. Like they expect Usyk to be Pernell Whitaker in there. He’s going to get hit and hard, and he’s not going to just absorb it all.

as i've said before my main worry for Usyk at heavyweight is that he doesn't (or at least he didn't) slip and roll shots, but often absorbs them on the guard, which would be a recipe for him getting knocked around at heavyweight IMO

Nail on the head mate. I share exactly the same concern.

[skanksta]

I used to think AJ was just too big, then he lost to Ruiz. Nothing like Ruiz obvs, but he IS smaller with fast hands. Suddenly AJ was too stiff and a bit chinny.
Usyk would befuddle him AND be able to hurt him.

Then Usyk looked like he struggled with the size and strength of DelBoy. I'm back on the AJ 'too big and strong' train.

IF AJ is gunshy, and back-foot cautious - a la Ruiz2 - he will be outboxed. There can't be any doubt that Usyk is better, but SURELY he'll get straight down to business and go after him ?

Just make a high-tempo, high-contact, physical fight and the size advantage will do the rest. OR he can do very little and wins a crap decision like vs Parker and Ruiz2.

I agree it with others that it'll look a bit like the POV fight. AJ struggling with the tekkers for a while, before eventually power tells.

[JamesPhilips]

I used to think AJ was just too big, then he lost to Ruiz. Nothing like Ruiz obvs, but he IS smaller with fast hands. Suddenly AJ was too stiff and a bit chinny.
Usyk would befuddle him AND be able to hurt him.

Then Usyk looked like he struggled with the size and strength of DelBoy. I'm back on the AJ 'too big and strong' train.

IF AJ is gunshy, and back-foot cautious - a la Ruiz2 - he will be outboxed. There can't be any doubt that Usyk is better, but SURELY he'll get straight down to business and go after him ?

Just make a high-tempo, high-contact, physical fight and the size advantage will do the rest. OR he can do very little and wins a crap decision like vs Parker and Ruiz2.

I agree it with others that it'll look a bit like the POV fight. AJ struggling with the tekkers for a while, before eventually power tells.

I think Usyk punches are way weaker than Ruiz, and that will be his undoing.

[oogiebe]

I used to think AJ was just too big, then he lost to Ruiz. Nothing like Ruiz obvs, but he IS smaller with fast hands. Suddenly AJ was too stiff and a bit chinny.
Usyk would befuddle him AND be able to hurt him.

Then Usyk looked like he struggled with the size and strength of DelBoy. I'm back on the AJ 'too big and strong' train.

IF AJ is gunshy, and back-foot cautious - a la Ruiz2 - he will be outboxed. There can't be any doubt that Usyk is better, but SURELY he'll get straight down to business and go after him ?

Just make a high-tempo, high-contact, physical fight and the size advantage will do the rest. OR he can do very little and wins a crap decision like vs Parker and Ruiz2.

I agree it with others that it'll look a bit like the POV fight. AJ struggling with the tekkers for a while, before eventually power tells.

I think Usyk punches are way weaker than Ruiz, and that will be his undoing.

AJ doesn't have a granite chin. Usyk can hurt him over time.

[skanksta]

Yeah course he can hurt AJ - he has the technique to catch anyone.

I'd back Usyk if the price is big enough, it's not THAT obvious he loses, but I always felt his only weakness @ CW was physicality and AJ clearly has that in spades.,

He has to put it on Usyk from the start tho' - he can lose it if he's passive.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Whyte now wants to fight AJ next

[coghaugen11]

Whyte now wants to fight AJ next

So does Ruiz

[rd350lc]

The Usyk fight is far more interesting than going over old ground .

[ironbeard]

Whyte now wants to fight AJ next

So does Ruiz

So do I.

[margaret thatcher]

The Usyk fight is far more interesting than going over old ground .

[coneye]

Styles make fights ,, Ruiz is small , compared to AJ ,, but he can box , and he can punch so it did'nt suprise me him catching AJ out ,, next one did show AJ can adapt .

Usyk he's small , can box , but at that weight no power , he will not catch AJ out they will no what to expect

Chisora done well with Usyk , simply because he's big , he says stuff the boxing lets have a fight , but yet he can close you down , ,

AJ too big hits too hard , and is a good enough boxer to close it down and land the big one against Usyk ,, i'm going AJ by stoppage ,,, mind you if AJ can't stop him , and it goes to the later rnds when the big fella will gass ,,, could be a very expensive night for Aj ,,, the gloss will go right of AJ - Fury