Leading up to his scheduled bout with Jake Paul on December 19th at the Kaseya Center located in Miami, Anthony Joshua has exhibited an appearance of fatigue and a lack of engagement.
This is a pattern I’ve observed in fighters previously, especially among veterans who anticipate an easy victory. Their mental focus is absent, setting them up for potential failure.
The Return of AJ’s Vacant Gaze
He displayed a similar disconnected demeanor prior to his initial encounter with Andy Ruiz Jr. on June 1, 2019, and the outcome was notably unfavorable. Ruiz secured a knockout victory over AJ in the seventh round.
Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) is influenced by the assurances of his promoter, Eddie Hearn, and others who suggest that his match against the former YouTuber Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) will be straightforward.
He is being led to believe in the simplicity of this challenge, overlooking the events of the previous year when he suffered a fifth-round knockout defeat against Daniel Dubois. It seems he has forgotten that loss to Ruiz, hasn’t he?
“I simply don’t think he comprehends what it will be like to face Joshua in the ring with 10-oz gloves,” Tony Bellew commented to iFL TV, expressing concerns about Jake Paul being outmatched against Anthony Joshua. “The initial impact of those 10-oz gloves will be a shocking experience for him.”
Bellew’s Unfounded Assurance
Commentator Bellew exemplifies the widespread sentiment that has convinced Joshua of the ease of his upcoming fight. Many still perceive AJ as the agile, youthful fighter he was upon turning professional in 2013. However, at 36, his age is catching up, and the accumulated damage he has endured suggests he may be even older physically.
Bellew is reluctant to acknowledge the possibility of Joshua facing a defeat. As a friend, he struggles to accept that AJ has aged and is vulnerable to being defeated by a young, relatively inexperienced opponent like Paul.
