I did think AJ being late for the ring walk was odd, but figured it could be any number of things causing a delay.
They said that was an ill fitting groin guard. Seems like a weird thing to not notice until right before you walk out but idk
Can’t imagine at the time of ring walk they were still arguing about whether the fight was going to happen. The day or two before maybe.
All of that stuff seems like conspiracy theory nonsense I would agree. I would like to know what his dad is yelling at Hearn about though.
Aren't sparring partners usually barred from talking about the camp until after the fight? Also, I'd be shocked if this was the first time Joshua got KO'd in sparring. Legendarily bad chin.
Rumor has it that AJ had a panic attack in the locker room and that was the reason for the delay. He looked off the entire fight to me, like he didn't want to be there. His ring IQ was astoundingly bad.
Damn, that’s a bummer. If true, I can see why they don’t want that known. I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more in professional sports.
Weird fight in general. I thought the fight was over when he dropped Ruiz in the 3rd. Then Ruiz ate an enormous right that I have no idea how it didn't turn the lights out. Then AJ got caught moving into a hook and never seemed to recover. The last knockdown in the 7th he didn't even really get hit with anything.
Watching the recap, the first 3 knockdowns AJ immediately puts his hands up when asked if he's ready. But the KD at the end of the round where he is saved by the bell, he refuses the instruction to walk forward to the ref. Then watching his body language, spitting out the mouthpiece and then standing there with his arms on the ropes... everybody is saying he didn't respond because he was concussed. He definitely hadn't gotten his legs back underneath him. But he was looking to his corner. He was waiting for them to throw the towel in. He wanted out. I'm not saying it like "he quit" the way other people are, but inside, he didn't want to be there and you could see it on his face. He landed a couple of bomb straight rights that Ruiz absolutely ate and just kept coming, and I think it broke him mentally at that moment.
AJ knocked him down. Ruiz recovered. Ruiz knocked AJ he didn’t recover. Everything else seems to be a cop out and excuses for why the person who everyone thought would win got his ass kicked. Panic attack and being knocked out in sparring or the next bullshit excuse they’ll use didn’t keep him from knocking Ruiz down. They didn’t keep him from recovering. This sucks for Ruiz.
you just never know what is going on with people. He would’ve been better off getting TKO’d after at least looking competitive. No way he should’ve lost to this guy. He’s going to have to fight 2-3 guys to show he’s OK
I haven’t seen anyone, here or elsewhere, discrediting Ruiz. It’s not like he landed a Hail Mary lucky punch. He kicked AJ’s ass. I think it’s fair to question what was up with AJ though.
Folks on r/boxing were saying AJ was off because he was off the juice, apparently the testing isn’t as strenuous in the UK.
IMO all the excuses coming out is a roundabout way to discredit what Ruiz did. Just my opinion and maybe no one itt is doing on purpose but that’s how it reads to me. I thought the fight was over after the first AJ knockdown. AJ is going to destroy him in the rematch but It will be because he doesn’t take Ruiz lightly and he will be ready.
I kind of agree with you here. Ruiz fought a heroic fight, and even if AJ did look off for most of the fight, right when he scored the first KD and when he stepped in to apply pressure, he looked like same old AJ. I watched that a couple of times and he eats an enormous looping right, just behind his left ear. Ruiz missing widely with a big looping left right after that and then pushing AJ off him with a forearm and kind of swatted at AJ a little. The slow-mo angle doesn't show it well but the live angle you can see AJ's knees buckle right when the right had bangs him behind the ear. All the damaging shots AJ took were the ones that landed to the temple and behind the ear, and then during the fury getting caught with a right hand straight down the pipe when he tried to put on the ear muffs. Ruiz's accuracy and timing was impressive regardless of his opponent. And what a chin. "He's a big ole Mexican with a big old head, you're not gonna knock him out" lol
Yeah I think it’s just a matter of how you read it. For me, once Ruiz got up, took that next right hand that was a fucking missile and didn’t go down, and then proceeded to do what he did, there’s no way to truly discredit Ruiz. With that said, AJ didn’t look like himself. But knowing what we just saw, not sure that really changes anything. AJ’s defensive plan wasn’t going to work no matter if he was all there or not.
Sounds like they're going to enact the immediate rematch clause though. Unfortunately, the stuff about being on gear will persist since it appears the next one will be in the UK
I guess I am biased and it’s not just this thread but there were enough talking heads discrediting Ruiz that maybe I incorrectly assumed that’s what some itt were trying to do.
No I think you’re right to have your antennas up a bit. The annoying part for me has been media folks acting like Ruiz is some fat Butterbean sideshow act, when he’s a legit fighter with a strong amateur background who just happens to be real fat.
I'm not sure if we should keep giving Stephen A Smith this much credulity. Especially relating to boxing where he's less educated.
Definitely think he was concussed. He asked his corner which punch got him after one round and he asked his corner why he was feeling the way he was right before the 7th. During the 6th there were times he was walking around totally defenseless within range of Ruiz like he didn't know he was in a fight. I do think he was done after the 2nd knockdown, whether it was gassed, not all there, what have you.. you also didn't see his corner argue very much with the decision either
Yeah Ruiz deserves a lot of credit. He prob could have finished him in 4th but didn't go for it for some reason. Great chin too. Watch the right he eats at 1:08. This is right after he got knocked down.
I did laugh pretty good watching a Ruiz interview last night. He got asked if AJ’s power was legit, and that’s usually where guys, especially if they win, they’ll downgrade the other guys power. He was like hell yeah it’s real. It was a lucky shot, but you don’t put my big ass or something like that on the canvas without real power.
Ruiz was, incredibly, the better conditioned fighter. I think Joshua was also not prepared for the Mexican style. It was as if he thought he could punch away the forward movement, which just didn’t happen.
Tank Davis back in action July 27 in his hometown of Baltimore. https://www.badlefthook.com/2019/6/...fight-baltimore-july-27-showtime-boxing-nunez
This is lame to me. Ruiz is the champ, he should call the shots this time. The fight should be where he wants it to be. I know it was probably already built into the first contract and he had to agree to it to get the first fight but its still lame.
This is lame to me. Ruiz is the champ, he should call the shots this time. The fight should be where he wants it to be. I know it was probably already built into the first contract and he had to agree to it to get the first fight but its still lame.