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There is really nothing extraordinary about AJ's last fight, it was no watershed moment in the continuing saga of AJ... Boxing, like life itself will always have levels to the game... Together social forces, expectations and performance cues all shape the narrative presented by a fighter.
AJ never had the glare that Foreman had, or the presence/confidence that Ali had... He never had the durability of a fighter like Frazier, etc etc etc...
When AJ fought Usyk he did not do a bad job. One could even argue that at least one of those fights could have been given to AJ. don't agree with that, but if AJ had his hand raised in either of those fights it would not be the same as fights like Holy given the nod over Lewis, or Chavez given the nod over Whitaker. But Aj was not able to impose himself on the smaller man. Chisora who lost to Usyk was, by comparison able to threaten Usyk. AJ just did not have another gear, another level, something deep inside... whatever one wants to consider "it." It became apparent that AJ had come to a point where his relative level of skill and determination had set itself.
AJ has technical skills. His punches are exemplory, especially his jab. And in almost every level, that would be enough, especially in a weak division. But that level willsimply not take one to the level of Fury, Usyk, or Joyce. If they feed AJ to Joyce its going to get really ugly. AJ cannot do more, he is at his peak, getting ready for the twilight years of his career. I look at AJ a lot like I looked at Bruno. Both men had the gift of power, but not the intellect to technically develop their gifts... Neither man had the horrid child hood that made a Sonny Liston, or a Joe Frazier. Neither man had the athletic ability of a Ken Norton.
Boxers all say the same thing about entering the ring, but some men "know" they can "tap" so to speak, others just won't (Wilder). AJ would be smart to avoid Wilder, Joyce, Fury and maybe try for a cash out fight against one of the prospects. There is nothing broken with AJ lol... but competing against kids who graduated from Julliard in a piano contest is not the same as competing against Horowitz!
AJ never had the glare that Foreman had, or the presence/confidence that Ali had... He never had the durability of a fighter like Frazier, etc etc etc...
When AJ fought Usyk he did not do a bad job. One could even argue that at least one of those fights could have been given to AJ. don't agree with that, but if AJ had his hand raised in either of those fights it would not be the same as fights like Holy given the nod over Lewis, or Chavez given the nod over Whitaker. But Aj was not able to impose himself on the smaller man. Chisora who lost to Usyk was, by comparison able to threaten Usyk. AJ just did not have another gear, another level, something deep inside... whatever one wants to consider "it." It became apparent that AJ had come to a point where his relative level of skill and determination had set itself.
AJ has technical skills. His punches are exemplory, especially his jab. And in almost every level, that would be enough, especially in a weak division. But that level willsimply not take one to the level of Fury, Usyk, or Joyce. If they feed AJ to Joyce its going to get really ugly. AJ cannot do more, he is at his peak, getting ready for the twilight years of his career. I look at AJ a lot like I looked at Bruno. Both men had the gift of power, but not the intellect to technically develop their gifts... Neither man had the horrid child hood that made a Sonny Liston, or a Joe Frazier. Neither man had the athletic ability of a Ken Norton.
Boxers all say the same thing about entering the ring, but some men "know" they can "tap" so to speak, others just won't (Wilder). AJ would be smart to avoid Wilder, Joyce, Fury and maybe try for a cash out fight against one of the prospects. There is nothing broken with AJ lol... but competing against kids who graduated from Julliard in a piano contest is not the same as competing against Horowitz!
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