Did anyone predict Wilder and Joshua would lose before their "Mega-Fight"

[KillaMane26]

Yes. Lots of Englishmen posted that Fury would win and many said he would win by KO. I never read even one prediction that Ruiz would KO AJ. That took everyone by surprise.

Don't think too many outside of Hardcore boxing fans who folllowed Ruiz career who smelled an upset.

But me personally thought he would eventually lose just not to Ruiz

[rolshans]

I've always assigned about 90% of the blame to team Wilder for obvious reasons. Yes I predicted one or both might lose, I predicted that Ruiz was a tough fight for Joshua (although i thought hed come through) I kind of expected a hybrid of the first and second fight.

Wilders team were trying to get him to play the 'long game' telling him hed be a ppv star like Floyd, but he was never going to get to that...far far too beatable. And as the B side they are more at fault, and when you consider there relative purses since then...it all points to bad business where Finkel and Haymon put their interests first

Bingo. When your advisor's interests run counter to your own...watch out.

[F!x]

Joshua himself alluded to losing before the first Ruiz fight. Thinking back it was a bit strange. I remember him making comments about the ATGs losing and coming back.. how he'll probably lose at some point and have to return... It's like he expected to lose sooner or later, perhaps not because of being unsure of his own ability but rather based on the history of boxing where the vast majority of fighters, including most ATGs, actually lose fights and come back to win which ultimately cements their greatness. Unbeaten records are vastly overrated imo. Wilder losing is no big, it's how he comes back which will determine his place in history.

[Tutsa]

First fight in America and all Hearn keep talking about was Wilder match . Setting meetings all this energy wasted with AJ instead focusing on his first fight in NY with a late replacement. He wasn’t focused for the fight at hand but almost pulled it off dropped Ruiz went for kill got caught with great shot which he never recovered rest is history . Hearn greedy ass almost ****ed AJ whole career but he was smart regrouped found the right recipe to beat Ruiz . Boring or not he got his belts back and control . Now it’s DW turn can he regroup get it back this summer . We shall see

[SN!PER]

Wilders team were trying to get him to play the 'long game' telling him he'd be a ppv star like Floyd, but he was never going to get to that...far far too beatable.

Floyd grew up in a boxing family and started training at age 7.

Deontay first walked into a boxing gym as an amateur at age 20.

I'm pretty impressed with what he accomplished given how late he came into the game. We can only imagine how good he'd be if he'd been taught as a kid by someone like Emanuel Steward.

[KillaMane26]

Floyd grew up in a boxing family and started training at age 7.

Deontay first walked into a boxing gym as an amateur at age 20.

I'm pretty impressed with what he accomplished given how late he came into the game. We can only imagine how good he'd be if he'd been taught as a kid by someone like Emanuel Steward.

Thats how i feel... Wilder one of the most popular guys in boxing rn. I will always have respect for him and Joshua starting so late and achieving so much in this hard sport where most if the fighters come from fighting families and started since childhood

[Marchegiano]

To be fair, for much of it I wasn't even sure Fury was going to return.