AJ has no way of surviving

[Lopez_Boxing]

I don't think that's a fair assessment of what Ruiz brings. Ruiz brings a stout chin and steady pressure every round and I think that is a bad matchup for Joshua. Mix in a good jab and decent bodywork against a guy with a small tank and a porous defense and it's not a good matchup for Joshua.

Aj has EVERY physical ADVANTAGE. PERIOD. he looks like a grown man fighting a middle school student. Thats EXACTLY the assessment. Team Joshua picked Ruiz as a late replacement for a reason. They didnt think Ruiz had a chance. Ruiz exposed AJ for exaclty what he is. A big guy in a weak HW division. The fact now all of a sudden Ruiz is a big HW player because he beat AJ is laughable

[Da Pimper]

Aj has EVERY physical ADVANTAGE. PERIOD. he looks like a grown man fighting a middle school student. Thats EXACTLY the assessment.

So you assess a fight by how fighters look? You are a dumb ass.

[Redd Foxx]

I always hear from Floyd (for example) that it's a chess match. Yes, when you play chess, your pattern recognition should be drilled into your soul before any match so that you can think of higher level stuff. Isn't that the case in boxing? It's a "chess match?"

Does AJ lack the "chess match" skills or is he a head case?

I think he's a massive mental midget in every respect when it comes to the squared circle. But an amazing physique all the same.

AJ has proven he has chessmatch skills. He showed it in many opponents he overcame, including Wlad. What I always questioned was his ability to make decisions under adversity. Countering a lazy jab with an overhand right is a chessmatch skill you have from the gym and you don't need to think about it. But, knowing not to overcommit on a hurt opponent is a conscious decision and he screwed that up against both Wlad and Ruiz. Looking to the ref for help is a repeated thing he does. That's the weakness I see. Mental weakness. When things aren't going well, he doesn't have the same coolness under pressure guys like Ruiz do.

It's up to Ruiz to take this further than chess, to get the guy to doubt himself, and I think he might already be 50% of the way there.

[4truth]

Aj has EVERY physical ADVANTAGE. PERIOD. he looks like a grown man fighting a middle school student. Thats EXACTLY the assessment. Team Joshua picked Ruiz as a late replacement for a reason. They didnt think Ruiz had a chance. Ruiz exposed AJ for exaclty what he is. A big guy in a weak HW division. The fact now all of a sudden Ruiz is a big HW player because he beat AJ is laughable

I said before the 1st fight that Ruiz was probably the most skilled fighter in the division, because he is. Ruiz's defense is not so bad as you make it out to be and he certainly doesn't have to leap in to get passed the jab, he works his way in.

Ruiz is comfortable in the ring for a reason, he's confident with his chin and his boxing skills which, unlike Joshua's, are second nature. Being comfortable in the ring means he can just keep coming forward against Joshua at a sustainable pace. Being uncomfortable in the ring like Joshua is, means Joshua is working real hard just to defend.

[OldTerry]

No. Skill, in boxing, is mostly based in muscle memory and the things drilled in the gym. They "happen" on fight night because you drilled them into your reflexes.
Mental shortcomings cause doubt, confusion, poor decisions.

Very insightful!

[baroidi]

Strange how Ruiz is this HW juggernaut now.
Speaking of Wlad, AJ actually beat him, albeit an old one.

I think AJ might lose this, but it won't be for lack of ability or skill. Or, because Ruiz is some kind of monster. If it happens, it'll be AJ's mental shortcomings.

nah Ruiz isn't some ATG HW talent. It's just that Joshua's hype machine made it seem like he was an ATG talent. Joshua had glaring weaknesses, but clever match making and home court advantages allowed Hearn to successfully market him to the casual UK fans.

Ruiz is a very decent HW in a weak HW era, odds makers are still doubting Ruiz jr, but if there are no shady reffing and decisions, I can see him beating Joshua easily. But this is taking place in Wahhabi hellhole, so I expect corruption beyond even normal boxing standards.

[BangEM]

Check out the title of thread? To which I was referring?

(And actually, AJ is one of the few fighters I can think of who probably wouldn't kill me for saying that to his face.)

I don't know what LDBC means. I don't think I want to, given the source.

You’re a scumbag. Keep thinking what you see in the media is the response you would get running up on AJ in person, lol. I’d bet my right ball that he would kill you.

It’s just a waste of time haranguing with cowards like you on the internet. You wouldn’t even go 50m close to him if you were to see him in person. You need to overdose on meth and kill yourself before this year runs out.

[boliodogs]

AJ beat Parker who beat Ruiz and he beat many other good fighters. He also knocked Ruiz down and hurt him and he won some rounds. He has a good chance to win. He is in his prime and has been the champ for years and he is the betting favorite to win I think Ruiz will win but it is a close fight to me that either man has a good chance to win.

[Combat Talk Radio]

This era of internet fans.

Ruiz, with a 66% KO ratio - is an unstoppable hard hitting knockout machine... based on one fight.

Joshua, with his Olympic gold medal, World Champion in his 16th fight, multiple unifications - has absolutely no chance and can't box... based on one fight.

Neither of those things are true. But these guys can't see anything beyond the last fight. Their attention span doesn't cope with it.

And they had the nerve to mock Logan Paul v KSI.

They're the Logan Paul v KSI generation!

The notion that Joshua couldn't box did not just show up with the Ruiz fight.

I've said, as far back as the Breezy fight, that Joshua is limited as a fighter. He has ZERO inside game, he has to have range to have power, but he isn't a very good range finder. The only times he's survived against guys are when those same guys gave him time to measure that distance. Once he has the distance, you're done.

Ruiz only gave him that chance with the first knockdown. After he got up, he IMMEDIATELY adjusted to what he saw - wide open head after Joshua throws. But Grabomir already showed us that when he dropped Joshua. Parker was landing way too much too, forcing Joshua to rip the tape and call a timeout.

Joshua has always been limited as a fighter against aggressive guys. Wasn't it Dillian who wobbled him?

[boliodogs]

Aj has EVERY physical ADVANTAGE. PERIOD. he looks like a grown man fighting a middle school student. Thats EXACTLY the assessment. Team Joshua picked Ruiz as a late replacement for a reason. They didnt think Ruiz had a chance. Ruiz exposed AJ for exaclty what he is. A big guy in a weak HW division. The fact now all of a sudden Ruiz is a big HW player because he beat AJ is laughable

AJ was the champ with most of the belts and he beat many of the ten heavyweight contenders including Parker, and Whyte so Ruiz knocking AJ out does make Ruiz a big HW player. He already had a great record of 32 wins and only one debatable loss going into the fight with AJ.