Its boxing and being human ... good champions AJ height and reach advantage should jab and keeping distance and find the target rhythm range and follow with the straight right from a faint jab and or opening after getting the set position to fire after finding the timing as DW did...
Fam that's boxing fans watched World Undisputed Champs VK and LL do this to perfection with the great ES as trainer.
AJ wasn't in the last fight from the bell... look too relaxed... propped against the corner ropes, nervously chewing on his mouthpiece... normally fighters are out shadow boxing getting ready when in ring before being introduced he was leaning back on the coner ropes... maybe after miller failed his drug test several times and they really couldn't get any decent draw as an easier fight to showcase for the expections as Oritz turned them down... probably knew he could easily knock them out... and you made all this hype coming to United States to fight a flabby Mexican American you know can fight and can make you look bad... seemed a bit dejected before the bout started.
Ruiz held and defended two World titles (smaller) than majors but held them... and you better believe aj saw the WBO title fight AR should have won against Parker where AJ went 12 with him as well so he knew it was not going to be easy.
We all are human, and I think that's what got him so nervous from the start... just the possibilities this guy could go the distance in his US debut and maybe win...probably why his dad was so mad at hearns after the fight from the rumors and AJ so gracious in defeat... he knew it was a good possibility.
BUT STILL aj should have won... at the least a split decision based on the Parker fight between them both.
But as Tyson Fury pointed out hes a typical Brit fighter... like Frank Bruno... try to box you a little bit with some counters and some jabs but more less overpower you with no real movement.
If the great E Stewart had him... es would have him with a reign like LL and VK and even Homes... using that stick and move jab and hold when close... wear you down waiting for the ko opening punch.
So I say that to say, AR is a good and better boxer, a fast counter puncher, that AJ just needs to use his reach to find his follow up punch timing and he will easily win against AR. That's what he did to get the first knock down on AR of his career. So AJ knows what and how with the skillset to do against AR, he just is not coached very well which is why Lennox Lewis was put it out there that he'd train him.
But AJ got too careless and allowed a good counter puncher to throw punches in bunches, in his range, when AJ thought AR was hurt and yes it was a lucky back of the head shot but AJ invited it, not trained well enough to use his reach advantage at all times against a good counter puncher. If you watch DW he does or is now doing a better of this keeping his range advantage to load up.
He actually should have fought him like LL did Tyson or VK did SBriggs.... always kept his jab going to keep him at range to break him down. Man, I despised LL to this day since that fight for not going toe to toe with Tyson... but it was the perfect strategy to use.
This was and is a case of styles winning or you can say losing fights. Therefore, it's not that great an upset to me. I would consider DW losing to ortiz as more of an upset.
Hell, even buster douglas vs Tyson is only billed as the greatest upset on who and how he beat his opponents... not anything from BD background. He wasn't just a low level HW fighter working as a milkman part-time.
BD was a big solid 6-4 230 very good boxing skilled heavyweight... ranked #7 heavyweight at the time by ring mag he fought tyson... his dad was a top middle weight fighter. BD beat two former world champions TB and ON and beat ON prior to him knocking out Lennox Lewis.
He was beating Tony Tucker who took Mike the distance before he ran out of gas. BD main fault was his training and laziness was suspect. And after Tyson cut Rooney and that Givens fiasco... tyson was fighting on 70% intimidation and 20% Talent and 10%training with a big skilled boxer who had confidence and just lost his mother.
That's doesn't mean sleep on Tyson's power over DW for my fam from other thread
If AR is truly overweight, it must go to Marvelous Marvin Hagler quote that "it's hard to wake up at 5am and do roadwork sleeping in silk pajamas."
I'm seeming to think we're going to be looking at a Buster D vs Holifield match with an easy KO for AJ, unless AR had some weights in his pocket and under that hat... and is actually going to show up even lighter and faster just playing a mind game
