Problem with AJ's career

[moochi]

That is true...listening to Joseph Parker say "i've been boxing since i was 5 years old" really does put things into perspective...and even Andy Ruiz apparenlty 105 amateur fights.. experience is impossible to buy!

That said, it's the Heavyweight division, and this is probably the only division where you can get undone in a heartbeat, probably everybody in the top 20 could KO you with a good clean punch!

[O Prophet]

That is true...listening to Joseph Parker say "i've been boxing since i was 5 years old" really does put things into perspective...and even Andy Ruiz apparenlty 105 amateur fights.. experience is impossible to buy!

Exactly, experience really does matter in the end. AJ himself said ideally he would have liked to learn another 4 years as an amateur before turning Pro. Can't cheat the learning curve.

[Toffee]

Hearn called this many times. He didn't think Joshua should go for the title as you can't go back once you hit that level. And Joshua has basically been learning on the job ever since.

Doesn't change two things though:
1. He has a big problem when he gets hit. Experience might teach him not to "show" it so easily, but he'll still be in trouble.
2. He has beaten some of the very best. He's already a world class boxer.

[BangEM]

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Hearn fed him to the shark too fast because of greed and being too ambitious.

After the Charles Martin fight, they should’ve kept him at that level for at least 3 years and let him keep learning. But Hearn threw a novice in with Wlad and the beating he took in that fight ruined him a bit. That was his coming out party and how he became a star. The pressure just went through the roof from there.

In hindsight, I think he should’ve moved to the US earlier and worked with American coaches. I remember Mayweather telling him a few years ago about fixing up his defence but never followed through.

But it’s life, **** happens and everything happens for a reason. If he had been mentally prepared for that fight, he would have won pretty easily. But he wasn’t and was tired even before the fight started.

[AJ's Boy]

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Hearn fed him to the shark too fast because of greed and being too ambitious.

After the Charles Martin fight, they should’ve kept him at that level for at least 3 years and let him keep learning. But Hearn threw a novice in with Wlad and the beating he took in that fight ruined him a bit. That was his coming out party and how he became a star. The pressure just went through the roof from there.

In hindsight, I think he should’ve moved to the US earlier and worked with American coaches. I remember Mayweather telling him a few years ago about fixing up his defence but never followed through.

But it’s life, **** happens and everything happens for a reason. If he had been mentally prepared for that fight, he would have won pretty easily. But he wasn’t and was tired even before the fight started.

Good post. Hopefully he can bounce back from this.

[donjigga11]

Problem with AJ career is that they moved him too fast. Wilder had 40 plus Pro fights in obscurity for him to quietly learn against bums and veterans for 10 plus years as a Pro. He had shaky situations, suffered knock downs (Nichols, Sconiers), and learned how to survive and deal with them. Those fights toughen you.

AJ started boxing late and was pushed to become champion at like 16-17 fights. And had only boxed pro for less than 5 years. That's not enough time. Also, once you become champ, all limelights and pressure is on you and you have to worry about looking good and not losing. It's not as easy to learn anymore.

After the Klitschko fight, AJ should have had at least another 4-5 fights against people like Szpilka, Duhaupas, Arreola, etc, before stepping up against Prime champion level fighters like Parker and Ruiz. Should have fought a few gatekeepers that would test him, but won't hurt him too bad.

Instead they rushed AJ. He was lucky to get past Whyte(torn shoulder), Klitschko(old), and Parker (ref saved AJ). But his lack of experience and survival skill finally got exposed against the Mexican Ruiz.

AJ needs another 7-8 fights against lower opposition, and 4-5 years to rebuild and learn, before he even thinks about fighting Wilder, if he's serious about having a chance to win.

This is why I was saying AJ should not of only been fighting 2 times a year since his 17th fight.

For someone who had a short amateur career he has basically been learning on the job in the pro ranks and still has major flaws which Ruiz exposed.

He should of continued to be fighting 3 times a year for his development . A lot of fighters only start fighting twice a year after 30/40 fights.

[MDPopescu]

Funny how we all lokoked over and said Emmanuel Steward
Gone but never forgotten

What’s your take on Sugar Hill
He and Jonathan Banks were being moulded as the heirs to his throne

Hill and Banks would be OK, I guess... (except for the fact that both Wlad and Stevenson were previously trained by Steward himself...)

[MulaKO]

Hill and Banks would be OK, I guess... (except for the fact that both Wlad and Stevenson were previously trained by Steward himself...)

Your right about that but I think one of those guys ( I lean towards Hill ) would be of tremendous help to him
Manny didn’t have that much time with Stevenson , it was pretty Hill and he turned out ok
Let alone all ducking bullchit and what not , the guy was a pretty good fighter
Before that , he had no defence what so ever
Joshua , imo , needs a whole makeover especially after hearing about the sports psychologist and stuff

[xvG-MONEYvx]

I mean like someone else posted, how can he go back to fighting lower level opposition when he is used to fighting in stadiums? I think he is as good as he is going to get. He is a good fighter, just not great. He is visibly hurt in alot of his fights and he has a stamina problem. Wilder kills him. Fury schools him. Ruiz stops him again. I'm really curious to see where AJ goes from here.

[BangEM]

This is why I was saying AJ should not of only been fighting 2 times a year since his 17th fight.

For someone who had a short amateur career he has basically been learning on the job in the pro ranks and still has major flaws which Ruiz exposed.

He should of continued to be fighting 3 times a year for his development . A lot of fighters only start fighting twice a year after 30/40 fights.

The mad thing is that, he knows he’s learning on the job. Hearn knows he’s learning on the job. Yet they allowed the desire for money lure them out and got in the mix with people who have more experience than him. It’s why I wasn’t too keen when Wilder started chasing him around two years ago.

Greed destroyed Eddie. You know your boxer struggles with short guys and he’s not that fast. But you decided to feed him the shortest guy you can find with the fastest hands in the heavyweight division with granite chin who can box, lol. Talk about feeling yourself too much and sabotaging everything.

This might be the blessing in disguise and reality check that he needs. He needs to run the belts back and perhaps move to the US without funfair and build his career back up from there.