The fickleness of boxing fans / AJ can’t sell out o2

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

No, I was on the fence before the first fight because there were too many unknown factors. But if I'd had to make a pick I would have gone for Usyk on points or late stoppage, which was my prediction for the rematch.

Fair enough. I picked Usyk late stoppage in the first fight. Points in the 2nd fight.

[kafkod]

Didn’t you pick AJ by KO?

Usyk will be a tough fight for Fury. Fury on points would be my prediction though.

The officials will be critical. A fussy ref who separates them quickly whenever they get close up - think Floyd vs Hatton or AJ vs Parker - and it's advantage Usyk. With a more lenient ref who allows Fury to use his size and "dirty fighting" skills up close, then it will depend on how the judges interpret that kind of action.

Whatever happens, I think it goes the distance and there will be controversy if it's close. I could easily see a draw, but if I had to make a definite pick I would go Fury on points.

[kafkod]

Fair enough. I picked Usyk late stoppage in the first fight. Points in the 2nd fight.

If Usyk had gone for it a little earlier in the 12th, you would have been right both times.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

The officials will be critical. A fussy ref who separates them quickly whenever they get close up - think Floyd vs Hatton or AJ vs Parker - and it's advantage Usyk. With a more lenient ref who allows Fury to use his size and "dirty fighting" skills up close, then it will depend on how the judges interpret that kind of action.

Whatever happens, I think it goes the distance and there will be controversy if it's close. I could easily see a draw, but if I had to make a definite pick I would go Fury on points.

I think Fury will struggle to figure Usyk out early, but once he begins to time Usyk, I think he’ll take over. He has a lot more ring IQ than AJ, he’ll actually impose his size and make Usyk work a lot harder to get in and out of range. I fully expect Fury to box Usyk, I don’t think he’ll try and maul him like many people think. I could see it being a really tactical fight.

[baroidi]

Hearn and his marketing team were hyping him up as some ATG talent when he was on a run of KO'ng 40 yr olds. Then he gets sparked by some short fat Mexican. In the rematch he is terrified to engage with the obese Ruiz jr, who didn't even bother training. He gets his belts back and Hearn and his marketing team are hyping Joshua as some kind of slick boxer, his fans again buy the hype. Then he gets thoroughly out boxed by some CW and loses the rematch convincingly and throws a temper tantrum. How many times can Hearn fool the public? When he KO's Franklin, can Hearn again sell "Joshua is back!" to the public?

[PRINCEKOOL]

Hearn and his marketing team were hyping him up as some ATG talent when he was on a run of KO'ng 40 yr olds. Then he gets sparked by some short fat Mexican. In the rematch he is terrified to engage with the obese Ruiz jr, who didn't even bother training. He gets his belts back and Hearn and his marketing team are hyping Joshua as some kind of slick boxer, his fans again buy the hype. Then he gets thoroughly out boxed by some CW and loses the rematch convincingly and throws a temper tantrum. How many times can Hearn fool the public? When he KO's Franklin, can Hearn again sell "Joshua is back!" to the public?

Joshua has consistently fought at a higher level than Fury & Wilder, objectively that is what the rankings stated at the time.

Is Tyson Fury obese? 95% of the Heavyweight division are not solid at the weight. Andy Ruiz Junior whether you like it or not is a Top fighter.

Your response is overly dramatic. Joshua has proven that he is a capable fighter. If he was not, people would not be complaining over the Franklin fight.

Franklin is a solid fight for any Heavyweights outside the Top-3. Joshua is now a contender, and has no belts.

The Top three fighters on current form are Fury, Usyk, Joyce 'Then Wilder & Joshua are just outside of this pack' I.E This list is in no particular order.

Then there is the chasing pack of Hrgovic, Zhang, Dubois, Whyte, Ruiz Junior etc.

Tyson Fury does not stop Franklin, if Fury cannot stop Chisora 'Who was in his worst condition for sometime, he is not stopping Franklin'.

I expect Joshua to win every single round vs Franklin 'And knock him out between rounds 7-9'.

[Zaroku]

He pemight could do better numbers in a thing and a manic show?

Butler popping and rapping in tagalog??

[Butt stuff]

That’s pretty surprising actually. I thought casuals would still be packing out his arenas.

I think it also doesn’t help that he’s not the wrecking ball he once was. Doesn’t take as many chances or push forward, opting to box on his back foot. Even against a sloppy past prime Pulev.

[_Rexy_]

Joshua has consistently fought at a higher level than Fury & Wilder, objectively that is what the rankings stated at the time.

Is Tyson Fury obese? 95% of the Heavyweight division are not solid at the weight. Andy Ruiz Junior whether you like it or not is a Top fighter.

Your response is overly dramatic. Joshua has proven that he is a capable fighter. If he was not, people would not be complaining over the Franklin fight.

Franklin is a solid fight for any Heavyweights outside the Top-3. Joshua is now a contender, and has no belts.

The Top three fighters on current form are Fury, Usyk, Joyce 'Then Wilder & Joshua are just outside of this pack' I.E This list is in no particular order.

Then there is the chasing pack of Hrgovic, Zhang, Dubois, Whyte, Ruiz Junior etc.

Tyson Fury does not stop Franklin, if Fury cannot stop Chisora 'Who was in his worst condition for sometime, he is not stopping Franklin'.

I expect Joshua to win every single round vs Franklin 'And knock him out between rounds 7-9'.

But…he did stop Chisora though. Twice.

[juggernaut666]

Crazy to think just a couple of years ago, AJ could sell out 90,000 tickets in the national stadium in super quick time

Now he’s fighting in a 20,000 seat arena, tickets are on sale and still thousands left that you can just buy easily.

It’s a crazy drop off in popularity, just because of a few losses, 2 of them on points to one of the elite fighters in this era.

Are there any other sports where fans of a team or athlete are so fickle? I think boxing takes the cake in that respect. I guess it’s what happens when you’ve been hyped up and marketed to a casual fanbase by a corporation.

it’s hard to remember such a quick decline in popularity though. From selling out stadiums in hours to not being able to sell venues way smaller.


No wonder Eddie Hearn is looking older and getting more bitter by the day

Fury couldn’t sell anything with the Klitschko rematch In Manchester and had to scratch the event entirely it was embarrassing .

Fury was doing a few thousand in the states fighting no names when Wilder not involved, so not sure why you bring up ticket sales . If Fury fought Franklin at the O2 with no belt and charging the same prices in this one they’d be questioning Warrens sanity . Lol