Was something outside of boxing affecting Joshua vs Andy Ruiz ?

[lolasif]

Whenever an upset occurs, people will be full of conspiracy theories as to why it happened. The fact is that Ruiz was just the better man on the day. AJ couldn't cope with his handspeed and Ruiz had a good enough chin that he couldn't rely on his power to bail him out.

The rumours about concussion, panic attacks etc... have mostly come from rivals of Matchroom and their favoured journalists. Consider that it was claimed that Kabayel had knocked AJ out, then once it was revealed that AJ hasn't even sparred Kabayel, they latched onto the first fighter mentioned as having sparred AJ in Dawejko.

There's no way that Hearn would have risked going ahead with the fight if AJ wasn't close to 100%. Fights get cancelled or postponed all the time.

It's understandable that some AJ fans want to find an excuse for the loss, but there just isn't one.

 

[StopDucking]

Whenever an upset occurs, people will be full of conspiracy theories as to why it happened. The fact is that Ruiz was just the better man on the day. AJ couldn't cope with his handspeed and Ruiz had a good enough chin that he couldn't rely on his power to bail him out.

The rumours about concussion, panic attacks etc... have mostly come from rivals of Matchroom and their favoured journalists. Consider that it was claimed that Kabayel had knocked AJ out, then once it was revealed that AJ hasn't even sparred Kabayel, they latched onto the first fighter mentioned as having sparred AJ in Dawejko.

There's no way that Hearn would have risked going ahead with the fight if AJ wasn't close to 100%. Fights get cancelled or postponed all the time.

It's understandable that some AJ fans want to find an excuse for the loss, but there just isn't one.

@RR said he's convinced Joshua was indeed KO in sparring based on the info he had. What inside knowledge do you have and why should we believe you over him?

 

[randomg1t]

Whenever an upset occurs, people will be full of conspiracy theories as to why it happened. The fact is that Ruiz was just the better man on the day. AJ couldn't cope with his handspeed and Ruiz had a good enough chin that he couldn't rely on his power to bail him out.

The rumours about concussion, panic attacks etc... have mostly come from rivals of Matchroom and their favoured journalists. Consider that it was claimed that Kabayel had knocked AJ out, then once it was revealed that AJ hasn't even sparred Kabayel, they latched onto the first fighter mentioned as having sparred AJ in Dawejko.

There's no way that Hearn would have risked going ahead with the fight if AJ wasn't close to 100%. Fights get cancelled or postponed all the time.

It's understandable that some AJ fans want to find an excuse for the loss, but there just isn't one.

if he had been knocked out 9 days before the fight, you don't think it would've affected him?

and you also don't think it's possible for a professional boxer to get KO'd in training during camp?

some credible people have claimed that it happened. i don't see why others find it so far fetched.

 

[aries]

@RR said he's convinced Joshua was indeed KO in sparring based on the info he had. What inside knowledge do you have and why should we believe you over him?

This is my train of thought. RR has been absolutely solid with his inside information, so I see no reason for him to make stuff up just for AJ fans.

 

[lolasif]

@RR said he's convinced Joshua was indeed KO in sparring based on the info he had. What inside knowledge do you have and why should we believe you over him?

I haven't seen any posts from RR making any claims about Joshua being KOed in sparring, but either way, I can't help but be sceptical of claims that first named a boxer that AJ hadn't even sparred.

if he had been knocked out 9 days before the fight, you don't think it would've affected him?

and you also don't think it's possible for a professional boxer to get KO'd in training during camp?

some credible people have claimed that it happened. i don't see why others find it so far fetched.

Of course it's possible for a boxer to get KO'd in training camp. It also would've affected him in a fight. Realistically though, AJ was similar in his last 3 fights against Ruiz, Povetkin and Parker. Either he was concussed going into all 3 fights, or it was simply a case of Ruiz being better able to take advantage of AJ's weaknesses.

 

[burningspear]

Pretty sure AJ was concussed 10 days out, from what people in the know have said.

I hate that many are citing this as to why he lost. That's impossible to say and undermines Ruiz' win.

 

[GoldenAzazel]

I hate that many are citing this as to why he lost. That's impossible to say and undermines Ruiz' win.

I'm reserving judgement until the rematch.

 

[aries]

Of course it's possible for a boxer to get KO'd in training camp. It also would've affected him in a fight. Realistically though, AJ was similar in his last 3 fights against Ruiz, Povetkin and Parker. Either he was concussed going into all 3 fights, or it was simply a case of Ruiz being better able to take advantage of AJ's weaknesses.

Eh? I don't recall AJ looking concussed vs Parker or Povetkin. In the Povetkin fight he took some flush shots but didn't look wobbled and against Parker he took nothing of note. Against Ruiz he never gained his senses after the first heavy shot that Ruiz landed. They couldn't look more different if you tried.

 

[vapor&dust]

Lots of rumours that you have covered already, the worst for me is that Joshua has recently blamed the ref for not putting his gumshield in before he waved it off

I think Joshua is done

Seems like a troll thread. On top of what you said I remember some Brit journalist at the post fight press conference asking about the groin protector having to be changed out. Seemed like a low-key way to put that out there as another excuse. Hearn's been watching Ruiz instagram praying that the good life has got to him.

 

[randomg1t]

Of course it's possible for a boxer to get KO'd in training camp. It also would've affected him in a fight. Realistically though, AJ was similar in his last 3 fights against Ruiz, Povetkin and Parker. Either he was concussed going into all 3 fights, or it was simply a case of Ruiz being better able to take advantage of AJ's weaknesses.

how was he similar? parker couldn't land jack shit on him and refused to engage, joshua just boxed him up for 12 rounds. povetkin went after him, landed some heavy shots that didn't really hurt him, and got KO'd when joshua timed him.

i have no clue if AJ was concussed coming into that fight, or ruiz just landed big on him and hurt him. he's been hurt before, it's not like he has some iron chin on him, we know he doesn't. but if people in the know claim with certainty that he was hurt, i see no logic in claiming otherwise. you guys are pretending like it's impossible and an excuse, which is idiotic.

either way, he's taking the rematch way too soon for the amount of damage he took in the first fight. this will either turn out to be a boring fight with joshua working behind his jab and taking no risks, or ruiz lands on him again and knocks him out even worse this time.

 

[Hagler]

He was concussed AND he screwed up AND Ruiz tagged him good.

 

[Kim Jong Un]

Joshua has said in interviews the KO rumors are fake and he sounds pretty sincere. I think his head was just messed up from fighting outside of his UK bubble for the first time. Also many people saw Ruiz as unworthy and AJ probably went into the fight feeling like he needed to finish Ruiz and it wouldnt be too hard, making him fight overly aggressive leaving him open to the first bomb from Ruiz that really scrambled AJ. Ruiz also used mind games to play into the narrative that he was a weak challenger, like at the weigh ins when he asked AJ if him and his kids could take pictures with the belt. He was pretending to be a fat Mexican journeyman just taking an L and a payday, and many people bought it.

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

At first, reading just the title i thought you meant some kind of cosmic, lovecraftian evil was behind AJ losing.

I just don't think so

 

[lolasif]

how was he similar? parker couldn't land jack shit on him and refused to engage, joshua just boxed him up for 12 rounds. povetkin went after him, landed some heavy shots that didn't really hurt him, and got KO'd when joshua timed him.

i have no clue if AJ was concussed coming into that fight, or ruiz just landed big on him and hurt him. he's been hurt before, it's not like he has some iron chin on him, we know he doesn't. but if people in the know claim with certainty that he was hurt, i see no logic in claiming otherwise. you guys are pretending like it's impossible and an excuse, which is idiotic.

either way, he's taking the rematch way too soon for the amount of damage he took in the first fight. this will either turn out to be a boring fight with joshua working behind his jab and taking no risks, or ruiz lands on him again and knocks him out even worse this time.

AJ's performances in the 3 fights weren't much different. The main difference was the opposition. Parker was timid, constantly backing up, but he was still able to use his jab to stop AJ throwing right hands. Povetkin started well, and early on it looked like AJ wouldn't be able to cope with him. As Povetkin slowed down, AJ was able to time him much better and take him out.

With Ruiz, he was aggresssive at countering AJ, and he didn't slow down. AJ just couldn't get to grips with him.

To be honest, while I understand why AJ has taken the immediate rematch, and should theoretically have enough time to make the improvements needed to win this time, I wouldn't bet on him winning.

 

[Boxiana]

this will either turn out to be a boring fight with joshua working behind his jab and taking no risks, or ruiz lands on him again and knocks him out even worse this time.

I just don’t think Joshua is good enough to win a boring fight against a Ruiz who is as quick, aggressive and unafraid as in the first fight.

Not saying he won’t try, but I see another Ruiz KO as a distinct possibility (and well worth a bet at 3-1 with the UK bookies)

 

[randomg1t]

AJ's performances in the 3 fights weren't much different. The main difference was the opposition. Parker was timid, constantly backing up, but he was still able to use his jab to stop AJ throwing right hands. Povetkin started well, and early on it looked like AJ wouldn't be able to cope with him. As Povetkin slowed down, AJ was able to time him much better and take him out.

With Ruiz, he was aggresssive at countering AJ, and he didn't slow down. AJ just couldn't get to grips with him.

To be honest, while I understand why AJ has taken the immediate rematch, and should theoretically have enough time to make the improvements needed to win this time, I wouldn't bet on him winning.

ruiz did nothing noteworthy to joshua right up until joshua knocked him down. joshua was landing quite comfortably and when he stepped in and unloaded it looked like it was going to be a routine KO victory for him. pretending like joshua couldn't get anything going in this fight is silly. he was beating ruiz quite comfortably, until ruiz went down. then the fatty got up and timed AJ's second attempt brilliantly, and never let up after that.

there are no similarities to the parker and povetkin fights, you're just making shit up to fit some weird narrative that joshua had always sucked.

 

[randomg1t]

I just don’t think Joshua is good enough to win a boring fight against a Ruiz who is as quick, aggressive and unafraid as in the first fight.

Not saying he won’t try, but I see another Ruiz KO as a distinct possibility (and well worth a bet at 3-1 with the UK bookies)

no argument there. when you win the world championship, you instantly become 30% better - i'm not sure who said this, but i believe it. ruiz is coming into this fight confident and hyped, and has hopefully not been resting on his laurels. i think he'll be in great shape and determined to put AJ out of there, which could very well happen.

if AJ wasn't concussed before the first fight, he certainly was after it. he went down 4 times, he should have taken a year off at the very least. instead he's rushing back in there with the same guy, just begging to be stopped again. but we shouldn't just write him off, AJ is still the most accomplished active HW right now.

 

[cottagecheesefan]

the concussion in sparring didnt do shit to the result. He fucked up Ruiz and had him, instead he went in guns blazing and got tagged. He fought incredibly stupid once he had Ruiz in trouble.

He is also too muscular and has a shit gas tank, which is why it was hard for him to recover. He was having trouble recovering vs Wlad too, but Wlad himself is muscular and has always had questionable cardio, and he ended up gassing too. Which is why the second half of their 7th and the entire 8th round was slow as hell.

 

[Jonny Ninja]

I just don’t think Joshua is good enough to win a boring fight against a Ruiz who is as quick, aggressive and unafraid as in the first fight.

Not saying he won’t try, but I see another Ruiz KO as a distinct possibility (and well worth a bet at 3-1 with the UK bookies)

He did exactly that with Parker, who also has much faster hands than Joshua? Joshua got countered going for the finish, when he had Ruiz hurt. He fcked up, but has every possibility of winning the rematch. As a fighter you adjust from your loss. He’ll fight like he did against Parker in the rematch imo

 

[Jonny Ninja]

the concussion in sparring didnt do shit to the result. He fucked up Ruiz and had him, instead he went in guns blazing and got tagged. He fought incredibly stupid once he had Ruiz in trouble.

He is also too muscular and has a shit gas tank, which is why it was hard for him to recover. He was having trouble recovering vs Wlad too, but Wlad himself is muscular and has always had questionable cardio, and he ended up gassing too. Which is why the second half of their 7th and the entire 8th round was slow as hell.

Absolutely right. As per RR there seems little doubt that he was knocked out in sparring. But neither Joshua or his team have used this as an excuse. He lost because he misjudged how hurt Ruiz was.