Comments Thread For: Bradley Believes Joshua's Confidence No Longer The Same, He's Scared To Get Hit

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Former two division world champion Timothy Bradley believes Anthony Joshua is no longer the same fighter since suffering a knockout loss to Andy Ruiz in 2019. He feels Joshua is not displaying the same type of confidence in the ring and is too worried about getting hit.
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[champion4ever]

I am going to have to agree with Timothy Bradley. He is right. That first Andy Ruiz fight scarred Anthony Joshua both mentally and psychologically. It has basically ruined him.

[P to the J]

Joshua’s problems go back further than Ruiz and, tbh, I’m not sure it’s as simple as “fear of getting hit”, considering he fought Pulev like he was there to collect gambling debts.

I’ve previously argued the man’s problem is getting caught between styles in the aftermath of Klitschko. McCracken saw him get knocked down, tried to change him into a boxer instead of a brawler, but inexplicably forget to teach him feet placement, proper head movement and a guard. McCracken assumed, possibly correctly, that Joshua would get into trouble continuing to fight stupid, like he did for large parts of that particular fight.

Of course, his coaching and/or Joshua’s boxing IQ come under scrutiny here, because he has gotten into trouble anyway.

It’s possible that there is a limit to what a guy without an amateur career can do, but my take is, thanks to their combined incompetence, he’s neither boxer nor brawler, now.

[Tatabanya]

What we all kind of forget is that AJ was about to be knocked out by Klitschko.

If instead of Wlad there had been a fighter less old and with more speed, today we wouldn't be here wondering if Joshua is afraid of punches or not.

[MeanestNiceGuy]

Can't argue with Bradley on this one...never intended on doing so. Somebody had to say it and he went a step further to say AJ's comfortable losing fights. It's so true, unfortunately.

I hate to see AJ as gun shy as he is and he's not up for taking a punch nowadays. I get it but he needs to find a way to snap out of it. For what it's worth, he was seemingly embarrassed at the hands on social media after the Ruiz loss but there was also a truckload of excuses made for him in that same breath.

If anybody's been given more passes for a loss, it's AJ at this point. He's a standup guy and a class act, but the sports needs the old AJ back...the one with the killer instinct. I truly miss that guy.

Best of luck to him.

[jonnyc420]

Bradley who I personally don't care much for is actually spot on here.

[MeanestNiceGuy]

What we all kind of forget is that AJ was about to be knocked out by Klitschko.

If instead of Wlad there had been a fighter less old and with more speed, today we wouldn't be here wondering if Joshua is afraid of punches or not.

Yes, but how many fighters would've finished the fight on their feet against Wlad? He was how old, 41? That's not old in boxing when you've led a decent career with a jab and hook alone in most cases.

He was dropped and hurt during the fight but he weathered those storms and finished inside the distance. Yes, Wald was slower but he had a hurt guy in front of him and couldn't close the show (because he KEPT trying to land the left hook) and couldn't close the show.

[Satir]

What do you think will happen when Usyk beats Fury, they will say Fury is not the same as he was vs Wilder, he lost the hunger, he was overweight, bla-bla-bla and overall this HW era is garbage

[Tatabanya]

Yes, but how many fighters would've finished the fight on their feet against Wlad? He was how old, 41? That's not old in boxing when you've led a decent career with a jab and hook alone in most cases.

He was dropped and hurt during the fight but he weathered those storms and finished inside the distance. Yes, Wald was slower but he had a hurt guy in front of him and couldn't close the show (because he KEPT trying to land the left hook) and couldn't close the show.

We could maybe reduce it to a simple difference of result and related psychological consequences.

AJ gets knocked down hard by Wlad, but gets back up, wins and gains confidence.

Against Ruiz, AJ loses in a bad way from a fighter that - moreover - is not a good example of athlete physically speaking.

It occurs to me that something broke in Joshua's mind at that very level. "How is it possible that I react and win against an athlete like Klitschko, and instead lose badly against a fat guy?"

An overthinking mind can decide a career.

[MeanestNiceGuy]

We could maybe reduce it to a simple difference of result and related psychological consequences.

AJ gets knocked down hard by Wlad, but gets back up, wins and gains confidence.

Against Ruiz, AJ loses in a bad way from a fighter that - moreover - is not a good example of athlete physically speaking.

It occurs to me that something broke in Joshua's mind at that very level. "How is it possible that I react and win against an athlete like Klitschko, and instead lose badly against a fat guy?"

An overthinking mind can decide a career.

So true! Let's also not forget how the media and fans wouldn't let the loss to Ruiz settle until they mentioned him (AJ) being KO'd in sparring shortly before the fight. Of course, AJ being the gentleman he is, he simply blew off the rumors about sparring and took the blame for the loss.