Something amiss outside the ring. The camp, sparing, PEDS, Personal Life, the scar on the chest, the high fiving and handshaking. All things to all men routine - Hangers on, health concerns, Wilder smashing DB.
Aside from the pressure and the weight of the world bearing down on him, there is something else.
Ruiz may well have smashed him anyway. But 100% whatever it is, or a combination of factors, there is something seriously amiss. I have always suspected he has masked his psychological character floors.
Whatever it is I suspect its deep-rooted regardless of his in-ring ability or otherwise.
Joshua vs Fury brings the country ( England ) to a standstill.
I get the impression that Hearn will genuinely push for the Wilder fight in April now. The Fury vs Wilder fight has taken some of the perceived Wilder mystique away. As previously mentioned Usyk vs Fury would be a real curve ball.
Be very interesting to see how all this finally plays itself out in the HW division come this time next year.
I think Fury has thrown a complete spanner in the HW division at the highest level.
Interesting to hear Wilder say " Let them go and do there thing " in regards to Hearn and AJ.
Wilder seems to have some genuine spite and a real sense of reprisal with this realising he and Fury could freeze AJ out at the very earliest point late 2019 and beyond. The worm appears to have turned and the limelight and focus are somewhat of AJ. I think Wilder will want to play the long game, more so than Fury.
The old adage " What goes around, comes around " springs to mind.
IF Joshua fights Fury at Wembley in April it would be the biggest sporting contest ever witnessed in the UK bar none.
It transcends boxing, it transcends the casual market, it brings the UK to a standstill.
Agree with everything except Wilder's mystique.
The question marks about him were:
- Is his power real against top heavyweights
- Does he have a chin
- Does he have the heart
- Does that power stay through the rounds
Well in his last two fights he's answered all of them. He's confirmed he's fundamentally not that good a boxer but we knew that already.
He's the one who brings that sense of a knockout out of nowhere. How exciting was it going into the 12th round knowing what was about to happen? Fury ahead, Wilder needing the big punch.
Champions dig themselves out of positions. He has done that, even if we generally disagree with the scoring.
I think he's still a very big fight. I can't wait to see him again.
I don`t find any of the above disagreeable in any way.
But, I do think Hearn was not expecting the fight he like the rest of us witnessed. Rightly or wrongly it will bolster his confidence that AJ can get the job done. I say that specifically in relation to Fury`s long lay off and that's the key for him in how I think Hearn will view it all.
Its dangled the carrot under Hearns' nose like never before, perhaps even lulled him into a false sense of security somewhat.
I truly think Hearn saw the fight going no further than the mid-way point before Wilder got the job done.
Being charitable to Hearn we all know it's about risk management. The venue will be the sticking point.
Hearn knows his onions on this April fight.
It was never going to be anybody else but Whyte.
AJ vs Miller ( Yawn )
AJ vs Wilder ( Politics )
AJ vs Fury ( All in Good Time )
AJ vs Price ( Price K.O`s him straight down the pipe )
He knows DW is the bare minimum that the British public will except - Forget the U.S and the Rest of the World, Hearns bread and butter is earnt on these shores by not pissing on the chips of UK fans and not ****ting on his own doorstep.....at least not too much.
What a load of convoluted bollocks Wilder is spuing out. Acceptance is the key to him. He`d of been better of saying " He beat me - fair and square. No excuses. No complaints. I`ll activate the rematch clause. And I assure the world I will find a way to beat him next time around. And I`ll go to the ends of the earth to prepare and do it" THE END. (Along those lines)
A bit of soul searching wouldn't go amiss.
He is doing himself a huge disservice and tainting himself with all this ****. He needs to hear a few home truths if he can`t rhetorically admit those truths to himself. Or is he just surrounded by yes men blowing smoke up his arse. - The first drawing board he needs to search out is the one inside the windmills (no pun intended) of his mind. Calm Down, Accept, Admit, Soul Search. Before he even thinks about stepping foot back in a gym.
The bottom line in all this for Hearn is not to piss the UK casual market of.
Wilder vs Fury has aroused curiosity and pricked the conscience of this market for the first time.
The so-called " Well, Wilder and Fury got it on, why not Aj? "
The Whyte fight will (for now at least ) appease the masses of the casual base and Hearn fully knows it.
How it transpires long term is another matter altogether.
I doubt it’s whyte. They offered Whyte £4m, when he made more than that in his last fight. Whyte can make his own path and fight Breazeale next. He already had more PPV than even Wilder.
Hearn will continue with his carrot and stick approach baiting up Whyte until he eventually bites.
Wait for the Hearn line " We've made Dillian a final offer...that's it, it's up to him now." That will be Whyte`s biting point.
If (and it's a big if) Whyte doesn`t play ball once the cat and mouse is over, only then will Miller come in to play.
Timescales pending of course.
Hearn will most likely get his way with the re-match in London pencilled in for Nov/Dec.
Of course, he`ll do what he can as his promotor to stack the chips in AJ`s favour but he can`t fight for him.
Ruiz has his number. Like many on here, I think there is more to AJ`s weak performance than meets the eye. Whatever the cause, there is something and I suspect it was present long before the ring walk.
Perhaps sparring story, perhaps a health issue, PED Cycle, personal life, a combination of different factors.
But there is something just plain odd about what went down at the MSG. There's a mystery to this as many have posted and thought.
Parker has a free pass with his previous two fights in the UK. Not being allowed to fight on the inside Vs Joshua and the clash of heads ( Headbutt? ) vs Whyte.
No doubt this fight will throw questions up about his trainer. As is usual.
Needs to knock the glove bumping on the head get spitful and above else win this fight.
Hearn knows AJ vs either Chisora or Whyte plays a distant second fiddle to Fury vs Wilder II.
He`ll go all out for the Wilder fight in April I believe. And keep Usyk in mind for an April curveball.