ANTHONY JOSHUA and his team must be extremely confident. Joshua tried to make it in the USA and didn’t show up. Instead of going away, rebuilding and coming back bigger, better and stronger, he’s jumped straight into an immediate rematch with Andy Ruiz Jnr. Not only is this risky, but he is once again fighting away from home comforts and in a completely different environment. If he pulls this off, we need to accept him and his team as excellent fighting people. I’m a nervous type of person and therefore admire their bravery and complete belief. Based on this level of risk, I truly hope everything comes good for them in December in Saudi Arabia. Mike Hills
FEARING FOR JOSHUA
AHEAD of their scheduled rematch later this year, I think it’s important to take note of the way the first Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jnr fight ended. Joshua wasn’t knocked out, nor did the referee stop the fight because Joshua wasn’t able to defend himself. Rather, he stopped the fight because Joshua wouldn’t defend himself. After the fourth knockdown, Joshua spat out his gumshield, walked to the corner and stood with his arms on the ropes, seemingly uninterested in further trying to defend his heavyweight titles. With still no explanation offered for this behaviour, it’s hard to disagree with Deontay Wilder’s opinion that Joshua quit. I fear for Joshua in the rematch. Against an opponent with an eight-inch shorter reach, Joshua looked, at times, like a cross between Primo Carnera and the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. He wasn’t just beaten – he was beaten up. Having the rematch in Saudia Arabia won’t make the task of reclaiming his belts any easier. D. Taylor
NOT ALL ONE-WAY TRAFFIC
THE defeat to Andy Ruiz Jnr in June was disastrous for Joshua, but it wasn’t until Ruiz landed the blow above his ear that he was in serious trouble. The judges on the night were in agreement that Joshua had done enough to win rounds one, two and five. Whether or not you agree with the scoring, Joshua did have periods of success, managing to floor Ruiz on one occasion. Despite this, Ruiz managed to pick apart the champion, exposing his frailties and shattering the myth of the previously lauded heavyweight. Gerald Doyle
CUT FURY SOME SLACK
I’M writing in response to the reports that Tyson Fury will likely be facing Otto Wallin in his next fight. I understand that Wallin isn’t the opponent that we all want to see Fury fight next, but surely we’ve got to cut Tyson some slack. Apart from Wallin, who is really available? Deontay Wilder fought Nicolai Firtha in his 30th fight, so he’s got a cheek slating Wallin as a choice of opponent. Kyle Oldroyd
