"He's under pressure, because Ruiz Jr knows his weakness, and Ruiz Jr is walking in the shoes of a champion"
Monday 8 July 2019 17:44, UK
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are working towards rematches, so we asked Johnny Nelson to analyse the contrasting fights, mindsets and ambitions of the British heavyweight duo.
Joshua is awaiting confirmation of a date and venue for another fight with Andy Ruiz Jr after he suffered a shocking upset defeat to the Mexican at Madison Square Garden in New York last month.
Fury says his return bout with Wilder will be staged on February 22, with the former world champion set to take one more fight later this year before resuming his rivalry with the American following their draw in December.
But what challenges lie ahead for Joshua and Fury ahead of these crucial second clashes...
The tougher task is obviously for Anthony Joshua. We've seen the vulnerabilities of Joshua, we've seen the blueprint to beating him. You think 'can he fix that?'
You've got to remember that Joshua has only boxed 10 years in total. He's told us he's still learning and he's not the finished article.
He made a fundamental mistake. When he had his man hurt he thought, I'll go in for the finish. It's easier to be wiser after the event, but maybe he could have jabbed, set him up and then closed him down. It was inexperience and that's not an insult to Anthony.
He had six weeks to formulate a plan to beat Ruiz Jr, it wasn't enough. Now he's got months and I think he comes back, adjusts to that, and fixes it.
He had six weeks to formulate a plan to beat Ruiz Jr, it wasn't enough. Now he's got months and I think he comes back, adjusts to that, and fixes it. But you also know that Ruiz Jr has already beaten him - and now has the heads up on preparing for Joshua.
Will Joshua have any mental scars?
No matter what you say, no matter what you do, if you've been knocked out, mentally Joshua knows that Ruiz Jr has the ability to do that.
He's under pressure, because Ruiz Jr knows his weakness, Ruiz Jr knows what to do, and Ruiz Jr is walking in the shoes of a champion.
Can AJ make a statement with a victory?
Without a doubt, because the message out there at the moment is - was this a mistake or have we seen the end of the road for Anthony Joshua?
For Tyson Fury, in my eyes, he won the fight against Deontay Wilder, and he won it through boxing ability. I don't think Deontay Wilder will ever be able to catch up with Tyson Fury, in such a short space of time.
What can Fury improve on? He can make sure he's consistent and doesn't make the mistake of getting caught.
Deontay Wilder has got to jump on him early, try and land a big shot, because he was totally lost and did not have a Plan B. Fury simply had too much boxing ability for him.
The only thing that will beat Fury is complacency. He knows he can beat him, he doesn't think it, he knows he can beat him. That's what makes him more dangerous.
Will the Fury-Wilder winner declare themselves as No 1?
They will rightly think that, because neither one of them have suffered a defeat.
Dillian Whyte battles Oscar Rivas on July 20, live on Sky Sports Box Office, with David Allen against David Price and Derek Chisora versus Artur Szpilka on The O2 bill.
