Comments Thread For: Bellew: Usyk is Really Hard Fight For Joshua, It's Really Dangerous

[R-Hand Southpaw]

I agree 100 + % regarding the weight... Been trying to make that point here for years now...
Not quite...AJ will win because of Usyk more than because of anything about AJ.
I always like to read a well reasoned post paragraph by paragraph... So I am right at the point where I will be reading some characteristics you note about AJ...

Before I start reading those characteristics let me clarify something: Here is where I am coming from... Watch tape of Usyk. As a cruiser he almost makes my top ten, probably on my top 15... Guy has head movement, great timing, makes adjustments, fights in all ranges, throws all punches, is defensively brilliant, counters well, and finishes in the manner that one often sees in Sonny Liston. That is what I see on tape. Then I watch Usky transition to heavy: I see an entirely different fighter. I see a guy with his head up, waiting tobe clipped, a guy who moves straight back in long lines... Ali and Jones get away with that... Even Ali was clipped by that iconic Frazier left hook though. So I ask myself? WHY? Why change what is great into what looks like a shell of itself? Then it hits me (pardon the pun)... EVERYTHING Usyk did as a cruiser was based off of one basic quality Usyk had: Usyk was a very physical cruiser weight. He had the ability to impose himself, at that weight, which set the table for everything else he was able to do. With that said, I am going to read and respond to the rest of your post... But we can both see that my opinion is reallynot based much on AJ. Aside from the fact he is a big strong heavy who is faster and hits a lot harder than Chisora... at least the version of Chisosora Usyk fought.

Regarding Joshua. I believe Usyk still has to make Joshua respect him. Ruiz is a much bigger puncher than Usyk, and has faster hands as well... I actually think Ruiz is quite talented... Ibring him up because he was able to exploit Joshua. Joshua may be hesitant, but eventually he will be forced to go after Usyk and to try to land big punches. If Usyk goes straight back he will be clipped hard... as he was against Chisora.

100% agree on Del Boy (Chisora) love the guy... Always brings it, has shown how not being preoccupied with a goose egg has allowed him many opportunities to fight big fights, and always made it interesting... AND he did expose Usyk. he showed how beatable Usyk is at heavy, even Usyk thought he may have lost that fight (true). But DelBoy is just more along his career than Joshua. And DelBoy is pretty basic, what we thought we SHOULD see was Usyk expose him, what we DID see was Usyk really having to hope the judges saw it his way.

What I expect of Joshua is to fight aggressively. Watch tapes of Louis against Conn... My philosophy regarding any puncher is... it is not a "rounds" game for a puncher, it is a "numbers" game. Probability. It was much better for a puncher when a championship fight went 15 rounds because a puncher's strategy is always to try to create as many opportunities to land big shots... A puncher has to think like "against this guy? I will need 10 good opportunities to blow him away." for this fight with Usyk AJ is a puncher... He knows Usyk faltered... all he has to do is create opportunities for big shots. AJ doesn't have to worry about rounds... or Usyk landing. he has to simply fight aggressively. AJ should take a book also from the Tyson Spinks fight. Never let Usyk in the fight...Instead of worrying about gassing, go after Usyk with the sole intent of landing as many big shots as he can.

Joshua is not a great fighter but great fighters give us precident, much as law gives us such with previous legal decisions. Marciano against Moore is a perfect example of precident here... Marciano took a lot of leather from Archie, and ultimately just kept coming. Moore even knocked Marciano down once...

Thats how I see it.

I definitely agree with a lot of what you said. Usyk is very much like Lomachenko when he moved from 130 to 135. Despite not such a steep climb you can see a pretty big difference in their style.

Lomachenko has been on record saying his training has changed moving from less speed and mobility drills toore drills concerning weight/power. I think Uysk would employ the same tactics.

Which makes sense because at their natural weighs they were very light on their feet and were able to deter opponents with combinations/feints/movement.

At the HW level though I think Chisora was just a bad match up style wise for a guy like Usyk. As much as I love the Ukrainian style they employ one of one biggest weaknesses I see is one, their unwillingness to turn a boxing fight into a brawl, and weakness against come forward guys who not only swarm you but stick to you like glue. It doesn't really matter how good your movement is if they swing wide at you and limiting your lateral movement which is why Usyk moved straight back most of the fight.

But that's the kind of fighter Chisora is. He's a tough guy brawler who is fine with trading shots because he's a big puncher too. Usyk wasn't willing to trade. In my opinion this is probably the best tactic AJ can use against Usyk because it's less likely he wins rounds.

The problem though is I don't think AJ is going to he as aggressive as you suggest he is going to he. A younger AJ probably would have dove right in and finished Usyk before he had a chance to start but ever since he got rocked by Ruiz I think he's much much more cautious. The guy has really started to love his long guard and long jab game which will be important to keep a mover like Usyk off of him.

The match-up will literally come down to how each approaches each other. If AJ decides to box and idle in front of Usyk can Usyk confuse AJ with feints and movement? And on the flip side, if AJ decides to bully Usyk is Usyk physical enough to endure? Then finally, who will run out of gas first? Uysk or AJ?

I dont think it's as clear cut as people imagine and I think despite Usyk not looking the best at HW he's gonna come to win which is something I've seen AJ lose in his last couple fights. Feels to me like he doesn't love boxing and that fire from his youth is gone. And yes, I know he's still a young guy but he's not the same guy he was before.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Good matches at HW with a lot of chances for upsets. Like ****, can you imagine Usyk vs Wilder for undisputed?

Not saying it's happening but anything can happen in boxing.

[hugh grant]

Bellew making usyk sound really scary then picks Josh? But it is interesting this fight. I'm glad it's happening before fury fight. Good first course this

[billeau2]

I definitely agree with a lot of what you said. Usyk is very much like Lomachenko when he moved from 130 to 135. Despite not such a steep climb you can see a pretty big difference in their style.

Lomachenko has been on record saying his training has changed moving from less speed and mobility drills toore drills concerning weight/power. I think Uysk would employ the same tactics.

Which makes sense because at their natural weighs they were very light on their feet and were able to deter opponents with combinations/feints/movement.

At the HW level though I think Chisora was just a bad match up style wise for a guy like Usyk. As much as I love the Ukrainian style they employ one of one biggest weaknesses I see is one, their unwillingness to turn a boxing fight into a brawl, and weakness against come forward guys who not only swarm you but stick to you like glue. It doesn't really matter how good your movement is if they swing wide at you and limiting your lateral movement which is why Usyk moved straight back most of the fight.

But that's the kind of fighter Chisora is. He's a tough guy brawler who is fine with trading shots because he's a big puncher too. Usyk wasn't willing to trade. In my opinion this is probably the best tactic AJ can use against Usyk because it's less likely he wins rounds.

The problem though is I don't think AJ is going to he as aggressive as you suggest he is going to he. A younger AJ probably would have dove right in and finished Usyk before he had a chance to start but ever since he got rocked by Ruiz I think he's much much more cautious. The guy has really started to love his long guard and long jab game which will be important to keep a mover like Usyk off of him.

The match-up will literally come down to how each approaches each other. If AJ decides to box and idle in front of Usyk can Usyk confuse AJ with feints and movement? And on the flip side, if AJ decides to bully Usyk is Usyk physical enough to endure? Then finally, who will run out of gas first? Uysk or AJ?

I dont think it's as clear cut as people imagine and I think despite Usyk not looking the best at HW he's gonna come to win which is something I've seen AJ lose in his last couple fights. Feels to me like he doesn't love boxing and that fire from his youth is gone. And yes, I know he's still a young guy but he's not the same guy he was before.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Good matches at HW with a lot of chances for upsets. Like ****, can you imagine Usyk vs Wilder for undisputed?

Not saying it's happening but anything can happen in boxing.

Usyk definitely has a good chance. I just feel that it is Joshuas fight to lose more than Usyk's fight to win if that makes any sense.

[removed]

I expect Usyk to be slippery as hell for the first half of the fight, but AJ should eventually catch up to him and lay him out.

[thetruthteller]

If Usyk was bigger, taller, stronger or was KOing the other 2 heavyweights he fought, then I'd give him a good shot at this fight. However, I think he will get a stark realization of the differences between a cruiserweight and a super heavyweight. If Usyk goes for the Bridgerweight division, he can definitely win that. But here against AJ, one good uppercut will probably be the end of it all

[R-Hand Southpaw]

Usyk definitely has a good chance. I just feel that it is Joshuas fight to lose more than Usyk's fight to win if that makes any sense.

I agree! Just really depends!

[Boxing Goat]

Some of us gave ruiz a chance... fast hands and good power.

If that's true, I don't remember anyone who did

[Boxing Goat]

Unlike usyk Ruiz is fast and very strong at heavyweight plus his stamina is amazing except for Joshua 2 but that was because of arrogance and indolence. Usyk sucks at heavyweight you need to accept that just like everyone else has.

Lol what a hater
He would easily beat Ruiz so Ruiz must suck too even though he KO'd the new brit hope

[!-1]

Bellew is a dlck head just like Hearn. No wonder they are friends.

[OnlytheTruth]

Lmfao.

Oh, because someone can throw some shots from close range means that they have a good inside fighting game?

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

AJ doesn't fight in the clinch and he doesn't have any infighting ability. The best he can do is fire combinations off in close quarters but that's not the same thing.

When he gets close he's looking to clinch and have the referee reset the fighters. He does not continue to fight like Fury did against Wilder.

Are YOU serious? Talking about **** you don't even understand?

"The best he can do is fire combinations off in close quarters" - YOUR WORDS.

WHAT THE **** do you think inside fighting is? It is WITHIN range for any shot. Jesus, you literally, I mean LITERALLY, have no idea what you are talking about.

Inside fighting is NOT just fighting 'in the clinch'.

Go back to sleep, dumbass.