[Other Sport] AJ v USYK

[CheeseRolls]

So many technical shortcomings from AJ last night.

He was leading with his left and leaving it out there, inviting the right cross and could have been punished more for this.
He was trying to counter Usyk, with his right and the only time he looked like he might do something, was when he threw first. Mostly he didn't throw it at all, because Usyk was throwing and moving out of range too quickly.
He was clearly falling behind on points and wasn't prepared to go into the trenches and try to trade and bully the smaller man.

Credit to Usyk, he really fancied this fight and backed it up with a classy performance

 

[Springal]

I’m #TeamFury all the way and was convinced either Fury or AJ would come unstuck on these fights. Wasn’t surprised AJ lost that but he did have a touch of the Frank Bruno’s about him. Never looked to have any belief in the punches thrown and tactically seemed a bit clueless. Everyone knew if it went to later rounds / points AJ probably loses yet the first few rounds were very lacklustre

 

[DJ NOBO]

It was bizarre to see aj looking so confused and lacking ideas from the off.
So much time and money goes into his prep. He had the best advice from Chisora and bellew etc.
And yet it looked like everything usyk did came as a surprise.
I appreciate stopping usyk is easier said than done but even so it was widely accepted that aj needed to impose his size advantage - basically do what Chisora did but better.
He never really attempted to do that.

 

[DJ NOBO]

He’s done for sure.

I can honestly see a retirement coming in the next week or so. He’s nowhere else to go.

He’s not done.
He won’t retire.
He has several options.

I agree with you apart from that, though

 

[Robinjakarta]

It was bizarre to see aj looking so confused and lacking ideas from the off.
So much time and money goes into his prep. He had the best advice from Chisora and bellew etc.
And yet it looked like everything usyk did came as a surprise.
I appreciate stopping usyk is easier said than done but even so it was widely accepted that aj needed to impose his size advantage - basically do what Chisora did but better.
He never really attempted to do that.

Agree. Looked to me like he was scared to open up for fear of getting hit .. effectively conceding inevitable defeat.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Agree. Looked to me like he was scared to open up for fear of getting hit .. effectively conceding inevitable defeat.

That’s likely down to the Ruiz battering.
Again, I’m surprised it got to the point where that came to a head on fight night.
It makes you wonder what was going on in his head in the run-up. Did he know deep down he was doomed? Or did his unravelling comes as a surprise to him?
You are right though - when those fireworks went off, he was already beaten.

 

[METALMICKY]

He’s not done.
He won’t retire.
He has several options.

I agree with you apart from that, though

Pantomime is surely on the cards.

 

[Durlston]

A disappointing weekend for British sport goes on. The media do build up some average boxers. I don't know where AJ goes from here.

Cannot wait for tomorrow night though. I'm so excited that we *could* potentially go top of the Premier League and Graham Potter would win a deserved manager of the month.

 

[Guinness Boy]

A disappointing weekend for British sport goes on. The media do build up some average boxers. I don't know where AJ goes from here.

Cannot wait for tomorrow night though. I'm so excited that we *could* potentially go top of the Premier League and Graham Potter would win a deserved manager of the month.

Disappointing? The golfers are European and were always going to lose, there are three British drivers in the top four places on the grid in the F1 and Brentford v Liverpool was one of the best football games I've seen in donkey's years. Apart from that, carry on.

If we're going to learn anything from last night it's that a whole stadium full of people triumphantly singing "Sweet Caroline" before a ball is kicked or punch thrown is ****ing stupid. We need to stop it.

 

[Withdean11]

AJ's game plan was all wrong. Was never going to win at range.

Chisora did a better job by bullying Usyk and walking him down.

If he is to stand any chance in the rematch, he needs to bulk up and go for him early.

Agree with that, he was never going to outbox Usyk.

But,

If he was more aggressive, he would’ve been stopped. He’s not as good at using his strength and size as Chisora, and can’t handle getting tickled on the whiskers. I think AJ realised this early so tried to keep it long and hoped the judges would favour him in a close fight, but Usyk gave him a lesson in the art of boxing.

For what it’s worth, I reckon;

Fury beats Usyk on points fairly convincingly.
Whyte gives Usyk all sorts of problems, but loses a close points decision.
Wilder gets stopped
AJ gets stopped in the rematch.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Disappointing? The golfers are European and were always going to lose, there are three British drivers in the top four places on the grid in the F1 and Brentford v Liverpool was one of the best football games I've seen in donkey's years. Apart from that, carry on.

If we're going to learn anything from last night it's that a whole stadium full of people triumphantly singing "Sweet Caroline" before a ball is kicked or punch thrown is ****ing stupid. We need to stop it.

This. Sweet Caroline is now cringe. It’s overused, forced fun and become like a pisshead National anthem.

Boxing truly jumped the shark when AJ came out to fireworks. Boxing isn’t, and never should be, theatre. Or at least, not outside of the ring. What a distraction to AJ. I suspect when he comes out again it will be more minamiist. I remember Eubank v Benn 1. The Benn camp stopped Eu’s entrance song. He came out as fired up as he could possibly be.
Top quality Sport doesn’t need bullshit around the edges to be good.

 

[Albion Dan]

Howard Foster had AJ 4-2 up on the scorecards after 6 rounds. What a cheat. They were clearly going to stitch Usyk up but had nowhere to go after those comprehensive final rounds.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Went last night, and had such a great time, awoke just before 11am for the first time since my teens.

Just watched it back, a noble art masterclass at times from Usyk, not only showing how to hit but how not to get hit.

For me the alarm bells rang even before the first bell, AJ’s ring walk was like a cross between Phil Taylor at the Darts and Neil Kinnock in Sheffield in 1992. Grossly over confident.

Real,champions do come back from defeat, Ali, Lewis , but really with all his millions in the bank and the level of opponents out there, after the initial knee jerk demand for a rematch, in time will AJ call it a day?

That final round was pivotal, Usyk knew he’d won, even with Eddie Hearn involved, but he spent the last three minutes showing AJ what he could do in the rematch without finishing him off. I actually believe Usyk showed both sportsmanship and compassion in that last round, he didn’t finish it because he didn’t want AJ having the indignity of being stopped in a stadium fight.

 

[Vin]

Went last night, and had such a great time, awoke just before 11am for the first time since my teens. ��

Just watched it back, a noble art masterclass at times from Usyk, not only showing how to hit but how not to get hit.

For me the alarm bells rang even before the first bell, AJ’s ring walk was like a cross between Phil Taylor at the Darts and Neil Kinnock in Sheffield in 1992. Grossly over confident.

Real,champions do come back from defeat, Ali, Lewis , but really with all his millions in the bank and the level of opponents out there, after the initial knee jerk demand for a rematch, in time will AJ call it a day?

That final round was pivotal, Usyk knew he’d won, even with Eddie Hearn involved, but he spent the last three minutes showing AJ what he could do in the rematch without finishing him off. I actually believe Usyk showed both sportsmanship and compassion in that last round, he didn’t finish it because he didn’t want AJ having the indignity of being stopped in a stadium fight.

Usyk would of had no issues in putting AJ away. Another 30 seconds in the 12th and it was curtains for AJ. Looked like the 12th finished 9 seconds early.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Howard Foster had AJ 4-2 up on the scorecards after 6 rounds. What a cheat. They were clearly going to stitch Usyk up but had nowhere to go after those comprehensive final rounds.

Remember Foster towing the Hearn party line was he stopped Groves far too early against Froch in 2013.

The Campbell Hatton result was a disgrace as well last night, the sport loses so much credibility with clearly bent decisions.

 

[Albion Dan]

Remember Foster towing the Hearn party line was he stopped Groves far too early against Froch in 2013.

The Campbell Hatton result was a disgrace as well last night, the sport loses so much credibility with clearly bent decisions.

After years of everyone hating the Germans for dodgy scorecards the UK is now by far the worst for it. Regular shocking decisions protecting home fighters

 

[DJ NOBO]

Went last night, and had such a great time, awoke just before 11am for the first time since my teens. ��

Just watched it back, a noble art masterclass at times from Usyk, not only showing how to hit but how not to get hit.

For me the alarm bells rang even before the first bell, AJ’s ring walk was like a cross between Phil Taylor at the Darts and Neil Kinnock in Sheffield in 1992. Grossly over confident.

Real,champions do come back from defeat, Ali, Lewis , but really with all his millions in the bank and the level of opponents out there, after the initial knee jerk demand for a rematch, in time will AJ call it a day?

That final round was pivotal, Usyk knew he’d won, even with Eddie Hearn involved, but he spent the last three minutes showing AJ what he could do in the rematch without finishing him off. I actually believe Usyk showed both sportsmanship and compassion in that last round, he didn’t finish it because he didn’t want AJ having the indignity of being stopped in a stadium fight.

I took that last round as usyk saying “take the rematch and you’ll get more if this “ and ajs smile at the end as saying “you gave me your best tonight, I was shit and yet you still didn’t put me down “.
Bring on round 13…..

Ps
As pp said , not sure why the final bell went 10 seconds early. Just as aj was getting battered as well . Hmm.

 

[crodonilson]

Watched the fight back again, AJs tactics were poor, I'd be seriously looking at my backroom team. He was coming back until the last 3 rounds and then does his eye in and can't see a thing. I think he'll win the rematch, but need to fight his fight. Still the people's champion.

 

[Vin]

Watched the fight back again, AJs tactics were poor, I'd be seriously looking at my backroom team. He was coming back until the last 3 rounds and then does his eye in and can't see a thing. I think he'll win the rematch, but need to fight his fight. Still the people's champion.

When I read the first sentence I thought ok Crodo had to many beers last night. But carried on reading and no he’s still deluded.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Watched the fight back again, AJs tactics were poor, I'd be seriously looking at my backroom team. He was coming back until the last 3 rounds and then does his eye in and can't see a thing. I think he'll win the rematch, but need to fight his fight. Still the people's champion.

I’m not so sure your people’s champion wins the rematch.
Usyk won last night on his Plan A.
He probably couldn’t believe his luck.
But he has said he has other ways to fight if Joshua changed his approach.
Whatever Joshua throws at Usyk, Usyk would find a way to win.
Although surely Joshua would give a better account of himself next time.
There was little glory in his performance last night.
As for changing his back room team - He should definitely do this. What’s he got to lose? Roy Jones spoke sense analysing the fight. Maybe him.