sounds to me like Joshua made a great effort, my hat goes off to him

It just does not work that way... Great fighters do things so you cannot make it a fire fight, its not a matter of deciding to forge ahead. Watch how Usyk would throw a lite counter shot over AJ's jab... Just enough to put a hand in his face, and stop him from firing the right... Watch how uysk would slip the jab to the outside and lean away so AJ had to throw his cross... across! lol. Watch the angles that Usyk used so he is right in front of AJ. but out of range. In any case, Joshua must throw combination punches. He didn’t throw hardly any combinations against Usyk.

Difference is, nobody really beat Lennox Lewis. They caught him, when he was a bit complacent. But skill for skill, strength vs strength nobody beat Lennox Lewis. Vitaly. -----------

Throughout the fight I was wondering if he was ever going to consistently go to the body. It looked like that was his best bet, due to Usyk's superior footwork and head movement. I was also wondering when an announcer will talk about it and Roy Jones finally mentioned it in the 6th or 7th round. I felt that that was one of the main things AJ should have done to help himself. Switch his attack to the body to see if he can slow Usyk down. Like Jones said, it was too hard to hit Usyk to the head, so you have to go to the body. AJ failed to adapt to that. But maybe that was because Usyk did not let him adapt or had him too flustered.

Up until the second half of the fight, I thought AJ had acquitted himself just fine against Alexander but he needed to do more because he respected Usyk too much. He needed to take more risks by making it a firefight but was very reluctant in doing so. I don't know why because he was the bigger and stronger puncher of the two. In the rematch; Expect Joshua to come out much faster next time by throwing caution to the wind. It just does not work that way... Great fighters do things so you cannot make it a fire fight, its not a matter of deciding to forge ahead. Watch how Usyk would throw a lite counter shot over AJ's jab... Just enough to put a hand in his face, and stop him from firing the right... Watch how uysk would slip the jab to the outside and lean away so AJ had to throw his cross... across! lol. Watch the angles that Usyk used so he is right in front of AJ. but out of range.

It was a good effort, I thought he was tactically poor but he tried until the end and the last 2 to 3 rounds were rough for him.

It was a great fight cant take nothing away from either guy. A.J. tried but Usyk was the better man. I think it was Breadman that said Usyk is the perfect sized heavyweight. It allows him to stay mobile for 12 rounds without tiring out. Breadman who knows the game says a good heavyweight should weigh around 220 or so... and he is right, thats all the size you need. We can start to dismantle the size queens after this fight, a welcome development. Usyk is light for a heavy by today's standards and not even a big puncher... the biggest puncher in the division has a medium frame like Usyk and weighs about 220ish as well... that being Wilder. So much for the evolution of the giants today that would lay waste to those dinosaurs of yesteryear...

There's always got to be one doesn't there Eddie's a good lad! A good lad... (grabs tissue and bin bone starts crying into tissue).

Joshua put on a great performance, Usyk was just the terminator in there. Never stopped coming, never stopped working. Easy to say now, but coming in lighter didn't work. He had the conditioning to go 12 hard rounds, but he couldn't outbox Usyk so trying to be lighter was a mistake. Bellew was right and that Joshua needs to come with size and try to treat Usyk the way Fury did Steve Cunningham if they fight again. Joshua could box Usyk 100 times and never get a decision. great post... AJ could come in with more mass and it would do no good. AJ is not a physical fighter... He does not know how to do what someone like Foreman, Liston, or Tyson could do. AJ wants to catch you clean with combos, maybe with a counter... and against plodders like the Army crowd that make the division these days, that can be done. Its not going to wash with guys who have ability like Tyson and Usyk.

Sorry...Joshua looked like crap. Usyk looked a young 221 lb Manny Pacquiao against Antonio Margarito. I watched it since the first post... He at least cracked Usyk a few times... Thats better than I thought he would do. Ive said this before, if one actually looks at cruiserweights and the whole size thing, it is not a factor in success. Thats history, not an opinion. So if we understand how much of this fight hype was predicated on Joshua having a "size" advantage" and being able to Bully Usyk... first of all, watch Tunney against Dempsey and Dempsey was incredible. the point being, some guys are tough and strong... the pounds don't tell you anything. Anyone who looked could see two things: Usyk depended on being strong, and physical as a fighter and AJ never showed strength to impose himself at all ranges in a fight... So with that said lets assume the size and strength advantage was neutral for this fight, neither guy had a real strength advantage... which is a lot closer to the truth... Given that situation how was AJ going to disrupt Usyk at any time? Which is what I was expecting... AJ managed a few rounds where he got Usyk's attention. To me that was an accomplishment. Otherwise, what was he going to do? Box Usyk like he did Ruiz? lol.

I only heard on radio. Lennox Lewis lost to 2 arguably worse fighters in mcall and Rahman and cameback. So surely Josh can comeback and rebuild status Difference is, nobody really beat Lennox Lewis. They caught him, when he was a bit complacent. But skill for skill, strength vs strength nobody beat Lennox Lewis. And he destroyed both McCall and Rahman in the rematch. Proving that overall he was the better fighter, and was just complacent. Joshua's loses were not the same, and his rematch vs Ruiz Junior was not as emphatic and conclusive as Lennox Lewis's performances. Anthony Joshua has signed a long term contract with MatchRoom, so he is clearly going to comeback and fight again. All part of the game and roller coaster ride. Joshua's fans should stick with him until the end. I did not actually watch the fight, get around to watching it another time. But yes, seems like Joshua put in a good effort on fight night.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I probably could have said that Usyk made Joshua look like crap tonight because he wasn't allowed to use his power and was forced to box. AJ looks like crap boxing against a good boxer. That's fair. I actually thought he was decent tonight. I was expecting him to get like, Lomachenko'd by Usyk tonight, basically. AJ would have beaten most HWs on tonights performance, AJ seemed to adjust well in the middle rounds, but ran out of ideas, out of steam, and out of a right eye it seems!

What AJ fights have you been watching?? Joshua did as well as he could tonight, the shots he got caught with weren't because of complacency or poor discipline which is what has happened previously. When he lost to Ruiz he had a bad performance against an average opponent. Tonight he actually had a good performance, but against a vastly superior opponent. I don't see AJ at world title level again after this. Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I probably could have said that Usyk made Joshua look like crap tonight because he wasn't allowed to use his power and was forced to box. AJ looks like crap boxing against a good boxer.

AJ has become SUPER cautious since the Andy fight. He needs a NEW Trainer or add his McCracken back into his camp. AJ is a Monster & he needs a trainer that believers in him not that makes him fight safe. One could argue that not fighting safe is how he got done by Ruiz.... Joshua's problem has always been lapses in concentration or complacency, if anything, more discipline would serve him better.

Sorry...Joshua looked like crap. Usyk looked a young 221 lb Manny Pacquiao against Antonio Margarito. What AJ fights have you been watching?? Joshua did as well as he could tonight, the shots he got caught with weren't because of complacency or poor discipline which is what has happened previously. When he lost to Ruiz he had a bad performance against an average opponent. Tonight he actually had a good performance, but against a vastly superior opponent. I don't see AJ at world title level again after this.

I did not see the fight, but followed it here and on youtube... I may have more to say when I see the fight. Many of us had a pretty good idea Usyk would win, if you really reason it out... BUT and thats a BIG BUT...Joshua made it a fight. He earned respect because if one really looks at the history of cruisers coming up... it has never been about size. Taking that into consideration Joshua seems, from what I have heard, to have Made this one hell of a fight! I heard he actually cracked usyk a few times with the right... He can learn from this and all of Joshua's fans that say Joshua has fought the best comp in the division? before this fight that comment was a joke... after this fight? Given the fact it was a fight? YES... Joshua has now fought a SIGNIFICANT better level of competition than Fury or Wilder... If Joshua needs to look for encouragement, look at Derrick Chisora, one of my favorites... Chisora does not care about losing a fight and consequently has had many opportunities to fight for the championship. Good effort, Joshua fans, hold your head high. Up until the second half of the fight, I thought AJ had acquitted himself just fine against Alexander but he needed to do more because he respected Usyk too much. He needed to take more risks by making it a firefight but was very reluctant in doing so. I don't know why because he was the bigger and stronger puncher of the two. In the rematch; Expect Joshua to come out much faster next time by throwing caution to the wind.

I just think Joshua tried to fight skill for skill and there is no way he is on the skill level of Usyk. He was never going to outbox or outwit Usyk. I think the problem is he nor his team have any faith in his punch resistance and even though AJ is better than the other Heavies that Usyk has faced they used their physical advantages, we're willing to take some on the way in to try to bully him. Joshua isn't prepared to do that. Usyk forced him to box...never gave him a chance to do anything but box, and he couldn't come close to matching Usyk's skills. Usyk played a master's game of chess with him and had better stamina and obviously more movement/speed. If Joshua can't use his power, he has little left to compete with.

I did not see the fight, but followed it here and on youtube... I may have more to say when I see the fight. Many of us had a pretty good idea Usyk would win, if you really reason it out... BUT and thats a BIG BUT...Joshua made it a fight. He earned respect because if one really looks at the history of cruisers coming up... it has never been about size. Taking that into consideration Joshua seems, from what I have heard, to have Made this one hell of a fight! I heard he actually cracked usyk a few times with the right... He can learn from this and all of Joshua's fans that say Joshua has fought the best comp in the division? before this fight that comment was a joke... after this fight? Given the fact it was a fight? YES... Joshua has now fought a SIGNIFICANT better level of competition than Fury or Wilder... If Joshua needs to look for encouragement, look at Derrick Chisora, one of my favorites... Chisora does not care about losing a fight and consequently has had many opportunities to fight for the championship. Good effort, Joshua fans, hold your head high. I thought AJ acquitted himself just fine but he needed to do more because he respected Usyk too much. He needed to take more risks by makinhg it a firefight against Usyk but was very reluctant in doing so. I don't know why because he was the bigger and stronger puncher of the two. In the rematch; Expect Joshua to come out much faster next time by throwing caution to the wind.

I only heard on radio. Lennox Lewis lost to 2 arguably worse fighters in mcall and Rahman and cameback. So surely Josh can comeback and rebuild status lennox was never completely outboxed like that.

I just think Joshua tried to fight skill for skill and there is no way he is on the skill level of Usyk. He was never going to outbox or outwit Usyk. I think the problem is he nor his team have any faith in his punch resistance and even though AJ is better than the other Heavies that Usyk has faced they used their physical advantages, we're willing to take some on the way in to try to bully him. Joshua isn't prepared to do that.

AJ has become SUPER cautious since the Andy fight. He needs a NEW Trainer or add his McCracken back into his camp. AJ is a Monster & he needs a trainer that believers in him not that makes him fight safe.