For what it's worth, I've heard AJ was ill in camp, his Dad wanted the fight postponed, AJ didn't want to pull out of his US debut show and said he'll carry it through.
AJ's Dad is fuming with Hearn saying he shouldn't have let the fight go ahead, and AJ was trying to calm him down, saying it was my (AJ's) decision.
If the above is true, I still think most of your points still ring true, he's obviously looked at Ruiz and thought, I can deal with him 75% fit. Which back in the UK without the additional pressures you've outlined so well in the above, he may well of done. But it's heavyweight boxing, and every little measure makes a difference.
I don't expect him to come out with any excuses, he was very magnanimous in defeat and is brand aware enough, to know blaming an injury is probably more damaging than the loss itself (as Mr Haye's little toe, can happily confirm).
Interesting, I hadn’t heard that rumour.
His eye was marked up a few weeks ago, and the Chinese whispers said that his training hadn’t gone the way anyone had wanted it to.
But then on the other hand, we have to take into consideration the fact that Joshua came into the bout very heavy.
That’s not through illness, that’s a game plan. I believe he wanted to bulk right up, and do a demolition job on Miller, in order to announce himself on the American stage. And this to me, was his biggest mistake, as he cannot function for more than 2-3 rounds, with that much weight on him.
Obviously if he hasn’t been well, and he’s taking a kicking in sparring, that won’t help matters.
Be interesting to see where the rebuild begins. Seen a lot being said about Mckracken not being the right man for the top top level, I'm sure Froch would disagree, but I don't really like the idea of immediately sacking a trainer after a loss.
Yeah Lennox was saying this aswell. Although in fairness, he wasn’t knocking McCracken, he was just saying that maybe AJ isn’t suited to fighting RM’s style, and that maybe a change in approach would suit AJ.
I’ve got nothing against RM per se, I think he’s a decent trainer, but I think the issues with AJ lie deeper than just a training regime.
We know he’s always had a suspect chin. We know he’s prone to gassing. We know his movement is robotic & predictable. If various trainers haven’t solved those issues by now, then it’s unlikely that anyone can.
Although saying that, whoever advised him to bulk up for this fight, has dropped a clanger IMO. It might have worked against Miller, but it was a very risky gamble to begin with.
Also seeing a lot of boxing fans revel in his loss as well, seems a bit off. It's become a bit in vogue to hate on him and Matchroom to validate fans superiority complex, apparently if you like AJ, you're a fanboy, or a casual, two words I really dislike in boxing. Surely people wanted to see the big fights with him, Wilder and Fury, however hard they would be to make.
I think there’s numerous reasons to hate on Joshua, (remember, I was doing it before it became cool to do it ?)
Joshua as a person, is a dick head. But that’s not really an issue, because most boxers are - especially the great ones. (In fact, you’d be hard pressed to name a great boxer, who hasn’t at some point in their career/life acted like a dick head)
Where he goes wrong though, is this boy-next-door/corporate persona. I’ve said many times, how I wished they’d have just let him off the leash years ago, and allowed him to be himself. Someone who has a bit of a personality, whether it’s a good one or not.
They should have packed up with the fake stuff a long time ago, as It’s fooling nobody, and is immensely cringeworthy these days.
I mean, he hasn’t helped himself with his behaviour though. The racist messages sent to Eddie Chambers (allegedly), was totally bonkers. Asking fans to vote for his next opponent and then completely ignoring the poll. Calling out Tyson Fury, only to retreat from that, and say he’s not interested in the Fury fight at all.
Then of course, there’s the fact that he’s intrinsically linked to that slimy, used car salesman.
Good ol’ Eddie, who would happily charge you the low, low price of £19.95 for the privilege of watching Anthony Joshua shadow box for 12 rounds, on PPV.
The man has been mugging the fans off for years (still got that partnership deal with StubHub I presume?) and Joshua - rightly or wrongly - is deemed guilty by association.
People like myself cannot get over, or ignore these things. The whole business model has moulded the fighter that we see today, and the basic bottom line is, that fighter is a marmite character.
But having said that, as much as I’ve been waiting for the hype train to derail, for some time now, I kind of feel indifferent towards it. I’m not happy about it, but neither am I overly disappointed with it. I’m not sure how my previous post came across, but in no way, shape or form, did I want it to come across as a gloating, “I told you so”, analysis. I wanted it to be as unbiased, and fair as possible.
And thats because, In truth, the fights with Tyson & Wilder are still there, but they won’t have that same edge now.
We know Joshua will get bowled over by a heavy hitter such as Wilder, and we know he hasn’t got the stamina or IQ to outpoint a classy technical boxer like Fury, over 12 rounds.
Can he change this? I don’t know. I doubt it.
One thing is for sure, the World has been robbed of at least one, (but maybe two) of the greatest Heavyweight showdowns, since Lennox & Tyson, all those years ago.
Not because I couldn’t afford it, more out of principle. 
