Usyk vs Joshua 2

Anyone watching this on Saturday?

I do like AJ but he was completely outboxed last time so i think his game plan this time will be to try and bomb him out early as he is big puncher and has the power to do it.

The longer it goes the more chance of Usyk winning for me. Usyk looks to have bulked up quite a bit this time which is even more of a worry for AJ.

The old saying in boxing is that' a good big one will always beat the good little one' - but that didn't go to plan the last time out.

I'm beginning to wonder though how good a big one AJ is though?

There is no doubt Usyk is a class 'boxer' and he's not going into the ring carry all those extra pounds for no reason.

I agree with your thinking in that AJ won't want the fight to go on long and will try to take him out and I reckon Usyk's camp know this and has put the weight on to hit AJ with when he leaves himself open trying to do just that very thing and he ends up on the floor instead.

I reckon an Usyk win by KO!

Sluffy wrote:The old saying in boxing is that' a good big one will always beat the good little one' - but that didn't go to plan the last time out.

I'm beginning to wonder though how good a big one AJ is though?

There is no doubt Usyk is a class 'boxer' and he's not going into the ring carry all those extra pounds for no reason.

I agree with your thinking in that AJ won't want the fight to go on long and will try to take him out and I reckon Usyk's camp know this and has put the weight on to hit AJ with when he leaves himself open trying to do just that very thing and he ends up on the floor instead.

I reckon an Usyk win by KO!

I think you might be right Sluffy but hoping not.

Joshua has been saying that he will approach the fight differently - but he referenced his early fights in which he's was often outboxed but won through punching power so he probably will come out swinging.

Thing is Usyk knows it and is too good a boxer to get caught out with that - unless AJ tags him good early doors. In the first fight, AJ couldn't land anything much on him as he was up against a top defence. Longer it goes on, the less chance AJ has IMO.

AJ easily outboxed last time and I can't see anything changing this time. Fair play to AJ if he can turn things around but I can't see it myself.

If he’s more offensive, then he has a great chance.

Seems Usyk has been misleading us a bit and that in fact he's weighed in at more or less the same weight as the first bout with AJ.

That seems to be saying to me that he's very confident in himself and his approach that won him the fight the first time around.

Someone like AJ who is something like two stone heavier going into the fight should always win (everything else being equal - age, fitness, injury free, etc) so really it should be a no brainer but AJ lost badly the first time they met, lost badly to Ruiz previously and you've got to wonder if there's something missing within him - something animalistic, something that is natural and can't be taught that the best boxers have which they dredge up from within - something like Fury had when he got up off the floor when Wilder (and me!) had thought he'd KO'd him in their first fight.

AJ should not have lost to Ruiz nor Usyk but did so - I can't imagine Fury would have lost to either of them.

I don't know what it is with AJ by rights he should be beating Usyk easily with his weight and reach advantages but I just have no confidence in him.

There is a rumour going around that Usyk has been troubled with body shots during his training for this fight - I take such rumours with a pinch of salt but if it is true maybe it gives AJ some hope because he certainly won't outbox Usyk and if he goes for the early KO and fails then what other hope has he?

I'll stick with a Usyk win although by rights the good big boxer should always beat the good little boxer.

AJ wasn’t aggressive enough for the first fight.  This needs to change.  I’m going for AJ in the hope he learned this and will change his strategy.

Seems AJ heard the rumour 

Sluffy wrote:I'll stick with a Usyk win although by rights the good big boxer should always beat the good little boxer.

Masterclass from Usyk.  A better performance from AJ but wasn’t good enough. Fury v Usyk next please

Fight went exactly as predicted.
I'd like to see Fury and Usyk and it may yet happen despite Fury's hype about retirement.

Boxing is dead.

When did boxers stop hitting each other?

It's become so tactical that the art of hitting someone seems to be frowned upon.

If Frank Bruno had been born 30 years later he'd have been world champion for 10 years by now.

That's the last fight I pay for, unless Sky put on sluffy v wanderlust.

AJ let himself down after the fight with his petulance and stealing Usk's limelight. He's gone down in my estimations after that. Can't see a way back for him now other than a few domestic fights against the likes of Joyce.

Usyk acted like a real champion and showed real dignity, just like a proper champion would.

Norpig wrote:AJ let himself down after the fight with his petulance and stealing Usk's limelight. He's gone down in my estimations after that. Can't see a way back for him now other than a few domestic fights against the likes of Joyce.

Usyk acted like a real champion and showed real dignity, just like a proper champion would.

Embarrassing display of petulance from AJ. In mitigation he'd been punched in the head for the last half hour or so.