[ BOXING POLL ADDED ] The Rematch - JOSHUA vs USYK II (updated thread)

[Welsh]

And only after Wilder's draw with Fury that Wilder suddenly admitted that he refused an AJ fight. There are a lot of reliable sources to prove this. The excuse is too shallow IMO. Maybe the truth is Wilder's ego cannot risk losing to AJ? Or maybe Wilder is one of those guys that worshipped Haymon? I always thought that PBC is like a cult. So many fighters sacrificed millions of dollars just to continue staying with Haymon's PBC like Quillin, Jermall, and Wilder. 

I think the truth behind it is both sides rejected the contracts, despite sending counter offers. I mean, the money was probably with Fury at the time, and Wilder ended up getting three fights out of it so I don't think we can blame his decision making. Plus, he may have thought beating Fury before Joshua would setup his fight with Joshua that little bit more.

Remember, outside of the US Wilder wasn't considered the best. He hadn't really been tested, just looking at his record will show you he either crushed cans or fought boxers that were on their way out of the sport. He even struggled against some of the older fighters, until he knocked them out. So, we knew his boxing wasn't all that great, he just had dynamite in his hands.

[1715116469]

1715116469

[Silberman]

Wilder vs Joshua was a fight fans wanted to watch for a long time but at least I always got the impression Joshua avoided Wilder, and now if Joshua wants to have any chance at another title fight he has no option but to fight Wilder and beat him, would he do it? I hope he tries as I still want to watch the fight, but if I am honest I think that as long as Wilder is healthy and is not suffering from some long term injury after his fight with Fury that Wilder should beat Joshua and deliver a KO on him.

I also got the impression Joshua avoided Wilder, if I remember correctly that fight could have happened several years ago yet somehow it just did not go head.

It is actually AJ and Eddie over the years that pursued Wilder. I can read a lot of reliable articles on this. And I am yet to see a reliable source saying AJ ducked Wilder except they refused some offers but they submitted better counter offers. And only after Wilder's draw with Fury that Wilder suddenly admitted that he refused an AJ fight. There are a lot of reliable sources to prove this. The excuse is too shallow IMO. Maybe the truth is Wilder's ego cannot risk losing to AJ? Or maybe Wilder is one of those guys that worshipped Haymon? I always thought that PBC is like a cult. So many fighters sacrificed millions of dollars just to continue staying with Haymon's PBC like Quillin, Jermall, and Wilder. 

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/513180/deontay-wilder-explains-reject-anthony-joshua/

In any case regardless of what happened back then I think we can agree that both of them, Joshua and Wilder, need to fight each other in order to make a case for themselves that they deserve another fight for a title, and I think this is the perfect moment to do it because as we know Fury may fight Usyk next and at minimum we could see two fights, so Joshua and Wilder have the time to settle that fight among themselves and find out who has the right to become the next challenger.

[JollyGood]

You are right Wilder did fight many boxers on their way out or simply not good enough and in several very tight fights when he was in to latter rounds he managed to win by using that powerful right hand punch but I began respecting Wilder after he fought Fury on three occasions. What he lacked in skills he made up for in sheer determination and guts but Fury was too powerful and dominant for Wilder.

His best chance to win was in the first fight because Fury retired in 2015 and just got back in the ring with two warm up fights in 2018 before fighting Wilder. The first fight was awarded as a draw but there is no doubt Fury won it. After that in the II and III fights Fury was all over Wilder and basically demolished him.

I am fairly convinced if a fight went ahead between Wilder and Joshua the conclusion is clear: Wilder will knock Joshua out in a more convincing manner than Ruiz did because Joshua will not be getting up during the count.

Remember, outside of the US Wilder wasn't considered the best. He hadn't really been tested, just looking at his record will show you he either crushed cans or fought boxers that were on their way out of the sport. He even struggled against some of the older fighters, until he knocked them out. So, we knew his boxing wasn't all that great, he just had dynamite in his hands.

[Jating]

Ok here is what Robert Garcia has to say about Joshua's breakdown:

“Joshua was mentally defeated since round ten or eleven," García told Izquierdazo. “Round ten was a big one for Usyk. That changed the whole fight, and mentally we were defeated. At that point, we were relying on a good shot or something like that, because Anthony is a hard puncher, and one shot can change a fight. That is what we were hoping for, one shot, because he (AJ) was dominated at that point of the fight."

https://www.boxingscene.com/robert-garcia-feels-joshua-mentally-defeated-tenth-usyk-rematch--168622

His point is that when AJ had a very good round in round 9, but he wasn't able to finished Usyk that time with that body shot.

And then Usyk, the fighter that he is, wanted to erase round 9, simply came back in round 10 and after that, it seems that Joshua is spent already and tired and yeah maybe mentally defeated and asking how can he can't finished him in the previous round and then make a huge comeback? Questioning himself, but again, Usyk is far more superior than him so 9 out of 10 fights, Usyk will beat him.

[JollyGood]

That is one opinion from one person (Garcia) who was employed to train Joshua therefore can he be neutral in what he is saying? I respect Joshua for the way he changed his fighting style to occupy the centre of the ring but in all honesty that was all he could do to have any chance of beating Usyk... but he failed.

Now for Garcia to say that round 10 was the game changer shows he is deluded. Usyk clearly won the fight with only a couple of debatable rounds where Joshua might have made a case to be ahead.

Ok here is what Robert Garcia has to say about Joshua's breakdown:

“Joshua was mentally defeated since round ten or eleven," García told Izquierdazo. “Round ten was a big one for Usyk. That changed the whole fight, and mentally we were defeated. At that point, we were relying on a good shot or something like that, because Anthony is a hard puncher, and one shot can change a fight. That is what we were hoping for, one shot, because he (AJ) was dominated at that point of the fight."

https://www.boxingscene.com/robert-garcia-feels-joshua-mentally-defeated-tenth-usyk-rematch--168622

His point is that when AJ had a very good round in round 9, but he wasn't able to finished Usyk that time with that body shot.

And then Usyk, the fighter that he is, wanted to erase round 9, simply came back in round 10 and after that, it seems that Joshua is spent already and tired and yeah maybe mentally defeated and asking how can he can't finished him in the previous round and then make a huge comeback? Questioning himself, but again, Usyk is far more superior than him so 9 out of 10 fights, Usyk will beat him.

[Yaunfitda]

Ok here is what Robert Garcia has to say about Joshua's breakdown:

“Joshua was mentally defeated since round ten or eleven," García told Izquierdazo. “Round ten was a big one for Usyk. That changed the whole fight, and mentally we were defeated. At that point, we were relying on a good shot or something like that, because Anthony is a hard puncher, and one shot can change a fight. That is what we were hoping for, one shot, because he (AJ) was dominated at that point of the fight."

https://www.boxingscene.com/robert-garcia-feels-joshua-mentally-defeated-tenth-usyk-rematch--168622

His point is that when AJ had a very good round in round 9, but he wasn't able to finished Usyk that time with that body shot.

And then Usyk, the fighter that he is, wanted to erase round 9, simply came back in round 10 and after that, it seems that Joshua is spent already and tired and yeah maybe mentally defeated and asking how can he can't finished him in the previous round and then make a huge comeback? Questioning himself, but again, Usyk is far more superior than him so 9 out of 10 fights, Usyk will beat him.

Garcia did try his best to rally his boy in the corner, but I would say that it is not enough though, it really took a lot on Joshua on round 9, but he wasn't able to sustain in the more crucial rounds. So he just faded away simple as that. No need to find an explanation as Usyk did dominate him. There is not even an uproar in the boxing fans because they knew that AJ really lost that fight. It's good that he is not going to retire and fight again, just need to fight guys that he can knock out so that his confidence will be restored.

[Boristhecat]

That is one opinion from one person (Garcia) who was employed to train Joshua therefore can he be neutral in what he is saying? I respect Joshua for the way he changed his fighting style to occupy the centre of the ring but in all honesty that was all he could do to have any chance of beating Usyk... but he failed.

Now for Garcia to say that round 10 was the game changer shows he is deluded. Usyk clearly won the fight with only a couple of debatable rounds where Joshua might have made a case to be ahead.

Garcia is biased of course, but the fact that in the 9th round AJ had an advantage and (seemed) was close to crushing Usyk, I think no one will argue. The problem is that apart from this mini-victory, AJ had nothing else and he lost the next three rounds outright. In general, taking into account the fact that we already have two fights in which Usyk convincingly won (in the first fight he generally declassed AJ), it makes no sense to talk about what the chances of AJ were and what he could count on. This is a stage already passed.

[Baofeng]

Ok here is what Robert Garcia has to say about Joshua's breakdown:

“Joshua was mentally defeated since round ten or eleven," García told Izquierdazo. “Round ten was a big one for Usyk. That changed the whole fight, and mentally we were defeated. At that point, we were relying on a good shot or something like that, because Anthony is a hard puncher, and one shot can change a fight. That is what we were hoping for, one shot, because he (AJ) was dominated at that point of the fight."

https://www.boxingscene.com/robert-garcia-feels-joshua-mentally-defeated-tenth-usyk-rematch--168622

His point is that when AJ had a very good round in round 9, but he wasn't able to finished Usyk that time with that body shot.

And then Usyk, the fighter that he is, wanted to erase round 9, simply came back in round 10 and after that, it seems that Joshua is spent already and tired and yeah maybe mentally defeated and asking how can he can't finished him in the previous round and then make a huge comeback? Questioning himself, but again, Usyk is far more superior than him so 9 out of 10 fights, Usyk will beat him.

And then Robert backtrack his statement or at least there is "lost in translation", Robert Garcia Denies Criticizing Joshua, Claims He Was Mistranslated

Garcia says his words had been misinterpreted when they were translated into English from Spanish, and that he was not trying to be critical of his charge. Garcia linked up with Joshua heading to the Uysk rematch.

“I haven’t talked to nobody, especially in English,” Garcia told ESNews. “You’re the first person I’m talking to. I talked to a Spanish reporter that I know so I gave him a little interview. But from Spanish translated to English they make it seem ‘Robert talking sh!t’ pretty much. But no. I wouldn’t say that about my fighters, man. I've never done that before and I never will.”

Just bothered me that a trainer will say that to his boxer after that fight. But let's see if he will continue to be with Joshua after this one, we have heard what Anthony said and that he will continue with his boxing career. I have a feeling that we will still be train by Robert in his next fight and then we will see if the partnership will carry on or not.