The RedCafe Boxing Thread

AJ is so fecking boring now when he speaks, he used to genuinely be an interesting guy. How does he manage to be so uncool? The fake gangster shit is cringeworthy.
 
Why did Fury struggle so much with Ngannou?
How do you prepare tactically for a fight when someone has never fought in that sport?

Ngannou was really, really poor tonight, left himself open all night for that straight right.

I don't think the AJ/Fury fight ever happens. I think Fury will retire after 2-3 fights against Usyk.
 
Well that was quick. Don’t worry guys, within 2 years the only 2 words we’ll hear in heavyweight boxing, or at any weight for that matter, will be Moses Itauma.
 
I liked how Joshua looked in the drills pre-fight. That movement and co-ordination is so much nicer than his old mechanical self.

He's a lot more rhythmic now. I think he's also found his perfect weight.
 
How do you prepare tactically for a fight when someone has never fought in that sport?

Ngannou was really, really poor tonight, left himself open all night for that straight right.

I don't think the AJ/Fury fight ever happens. I think Fury will retire after 2-3 fights against Usyk.
Step 1 is probably having a camp longer than the five weeks he bothered with.
 
AJ has a worried look on his face in most of his recent pre-match appearances. I’m not convinced he even believes in himself anymore.

Sorry to pick your post out amongst all the pre-fight predictions, but it did give me a chuckle at the time. I had just watch a replay of his Wallin fight and AJ looked the most composed and focused he has in a long time. Really putting his weight through his shots and hitting fast and hard. He looked dynamite to be honest, in a controlled way. So if anything I was expecting to see that version of AJ tonight, not a man who lacked belief.

AJ takes a lot of shit from people, but he’s always sought out the toughest fights in the division he properly could, even if there was a safer route. He needs to box Fury, and I hope it happens. On current form he wins that. But boxing is a funny old sport and the Fury we saw in the last fight isn’t the Fury I am convinced we’ll see against Usyk or AJ.

Say what you want about the man, but AJ’s taken his hits and he’s worked his way back into contention again. He probably has the best CV in the HW division. No one else had fought as many top ten fighters as him. And aside from Usyk, he’s beaten everyone he’s fought at some point. Contrast that to Wilder for example, who has lost to every top fighter he’s come up against; except Ortiz, who was already 40ish and was in huge trouble against until he got that late knockout.
 
N gone now? He lacks basic boxing skills at this level, defensively he’s way off. Which is to be expected to be fair. AJ looks sharp, fearless and hungry again, but he wasn’t tested tonight. Lets get Fury v AJ on, and put the winner against Itauma..
 
How do you prepare tactically for a fight when someone has never fought in that sport?

Ngannou was really, really poor tonight, left himself open all night for that straight right.

I don't think the AJ/Fury fight ever happens. I think Fury will retire after 2-3 fights against Usyk.
I’m not sure he’s even got 3 fights left in him. Small camp or not, it’s quite shocking that Ngannou looked so good against him now we have further context.

AJ is in a weird position. No idea what he’s going to do while Uysk/fury are tied up for the next year.
 
So now AJs beat him I guess Ngannou is back to being just an mma fighter and never a serious test at all

He should've never have been in the ring and the likes of hearn and Warren and fury have a lot to answer for. Could've seriously hurt

Obvious Hearn is doing whatever he can to get the Fury v Joshua fight and not give Fury an excuse to duck AJ (like he has in the past)

The original plan was probably go out and dominate Wilder, but with Wilder losing vs Parker and Francis giving Fury a good run, the plan changed.
 
Hope it is as Fury predicts, 2 fights vs Usyk, 2 fights vs AJ. Then we can draw a big fat line under this era.
 
I’m not sure he’s even got 3 fights left in him. Small camp or not, it’s quite shocking that Ngannou looked so good against him now we have further context.

AJ is in a weird position. No idea what he’s going to do while Uysk/fury are tied up for the next year.

I'm pretty sure if Fury beats Uysk there is no rematch (thanks to Fury and Warren doing anything they can to duck the fight) so he'll go straight to AJ. Although i suspect Fury will give Uysk a rematch if it means ducking Joshua again.
 
N gone now? He lacks basic boxing skills at this level, defensively he’s way off. Which is to be expected to be fair. AJ looks sharp, fearless and hungry again, but he wasn’t tested tonight. Lets get Fury v AJ on, and put the winner against Itauma..
Who is he realistically going to look good against in a matchup anyone would give a toss about? Zhang? This version of Parker schools him like AJ just did. Wilder's shine has gone completely.

His best bet is hoping Jake Paul still wants to 'fight' after he's cashed the Tyson cheque.
 
Joshua is a total cynic now when it comes to the boxing game. He knows how the media build up fighters to chop them down and he doesn't buy in now. The losses and humbling have done him the world of good.

Never thought he'd look like a natural before; always considered him stiff and robotic, but he's really not looking like the rock 'em sock 'em robot, Bruno reincarnation anymore.

He's said after the fight, the old him would have had a very different fight and probably taken years off his career against the exact same opponent, but the new him is a lot more savvy and clean.

He bigged up his camp and the work they're putting him through, and it really looks to be paying off.
 
Exactly the emphatic win that AJ needed to get back into the title conversation, but Ngannou looked every bit the amateur, his hands were so far apart it's like he was advertising the opening for the right hand.

I still don't think he beats Usyk or Fury (if the latter takes it seriously), but he did his homework, stayed miles away from the Ngannou left, and punished the fundamental flaws.
 
Joshua is a total cynic now when it comes to the boxing game. He knows how the media build up fighters to chop them down and he doesn't buy in now. The losses and humbling have done him the world of good.

Never thought he'd look like a natural before; always considered him stiff and robotic, but he's really not looking like the rock 'em sock 'em robot, Bruno reincarnation anymore.

He's said after the fight, the old him would have had a very different fight and probably taken years off his career against the exact same opponent, but the new him is a lot more savvy and clean.

He bigged up his camp and the work they're putting him through, and it really looks to be paying off.
In the Wallin fight, AJ was devastating as well, and people played down Wallin. He's followed that up with another brutal masterclass - he seems a really good match with his new coach.

I also think as bad as they were for his reputation, those fights with Usyk improved him massively as a fighter, and with the confidence back, he's gone up a few levels
 
Who is he realistically going to look good against in a matchup anyone would give a toss about? Zhang? This version of Parker schools him like AJ just did. Wilder's shine has gone completely.

His best bet is hoping Jake Paul still wants to 'fight' after he's cashed the Tyson cheque.

Wilder’s done. He took such a battering in that third Fury fight, I have to imagine he has some permanent damage. He’s lost against every decent fighter he’s come up against (hardly any), with the exception of Ortiz, but even then he was in deep trouble for most of it. Think he has to retire. There’s nothing in it now for AJ to fight him, and he’s miles away from getting shot at a title fight. Wilder gets hit so easily. He managed to survive several from Fury who, let’s be honest, doesn’t hit very hard, but AJ would spark him out in no time.

Really hope we can just get Fury vs Usyk, which Fury wins, just so we can get Fury vs AJ. It’s the fight we need to close out this era. Fury/Usyk/AJ is like Rock/Paper/Scissors; Usyk beats AJ, I think Fury beats Usyk, and AJ beats Fury.

End result, AJ retires as the unified HW champ.

Or not……
 
In the Wallin fight, AJ was devastating as well, and people played down Wallin. He's followed that up with another brutal masterclass - he seems a really good match with his new coach.

I also think as bad as they were for his reputation, those fights with Usyk improved him massively as a fighter, and with the confidence back, he's gone up a few levels

I think this is a very fair assessment. A lot of fighters shrink after a loss, let alone back to back losses against the same opponent. But I think it was the best ring education AJ could’ve gotten. He’s now fighting with a sense of (a) nothing to lose, so that fear that maybe tightened him up at times, isn’t evident, (b) a sense of hunger to become a three time HW champ, and (c) a loser focus that I’ve never seen in him before.

When he entered the scene he was explosive, but unrestrained. Then, as he had more and more on the line to lose, he tightened up and became so restrained that he looked shadow of his former self. Now though, he looks like a fighter who had that aggression and hunger from his earlier days, but it’s filtered through experience, precision and focus.

The schooling by Usyk and the new trainer, is giving us the best version of AJ I have seen. On current form I think he beats anyone and everyone in the division, bar Usyk. And I would still like to see him get a third crack at that.
 
Have to say that 2nd Joshua interview was much more interesting. Much more like the old AJ, considering himself in a future where he's advising younger fighters, self reflective. I really want to like him again - more of that please!
 
In the Wallin fight, AJ was devastating as well, and people played down Wallin. He's followed that up with another brutal masterclass - he seems a really good match with his new coach.

I also think as bad as they were for his reputation, those fights with Usyk improved him massively as a fighter, and with the confidence back, he's gone up a few levels
Yeah, I didn't give him as much credit for Wallin as others did because I thought Wallin looked terrified. It wasn't even the destruction in this bout that raised my eyebrow, but the really nice padwork they kept cutting to pre-fight, and then he executed the very same perfectly in the bout proper. Just don't have Joshua down for that kind of speed and fluidity so it threw me a bit.

Agree about Usyk and also the soul searching he's done since. It's really rounded out his game and forced him to work on his flaws. I also think not dicking around with his weight on a yo-yo is helping him to settle and hone things instead of relying on size and power like he used to.
 
Ngannou looked very very poor, but I'm more than happy with the result. If we can see AJ back to his best, or better, I'll be really pleased and surprised. Honestly thought he was done.
 
Who is he realistically going to look good against in a matchup anyone would give a toss about? Zhang? This version of Parker schools him like AJ just did. Wilder's shine has gone completely.

His best bet is hoping Jake Paul still wants to 'fight' after he's cashed the Tyson cheque.

Moses Itauma! He’s already the best heavyweight in the division and you can quote me on that.
 
Moses Itauma! He’s already the best heavyweight in the division and you can quote me on that.

I mean, best potential anyway. He hasn’t fought anyone yet. He looks like he could be brilliant but a bit early to call him the best HW when he hasn’t fought anyone of real note yet.

He might announce himself as such shortly, but still got to see how he handles a big occasion.
 
Moses Itauma! He’s already the best heavyweight in the division and you can quote me on that.

He's 19 and fought no-one of note yet. Not that I'd have expected him to and that age/lack of experience. He's likely 3/4 years away from being able to fight the elite of the division, he's done really well in his outings so far and showed ridiculous power but you have to consider the level of opposition. He's nowhere near ready to fight the likes of AJ.

He should build up a fight against Jared Anderson if he keeps winning.
 
The Paul fight will just be a total circus to make Paul look good.

I really hope Mike isn't getting paid millions just to get beat.
 
Respect to Ngannou, took on two of the top 3 heavyweights in his first two bouts.
Same thing would happen to Fury/AJ if they stepped into the cage against him.

Brutal KO, AJ has looked sharp and focused in his last two fights, shame we have to wait for two Usyk/Fury fights, maybe he can fight Hrgovic whilst he’s waiting.